Petition to stop illegal e-bike usage on Edinburgh's Leith Walk as police seizures soar across city

A petition has been launched which aims to stop the use of illegal e-bikes on the streets and cycle paths in and around Leith Walk.

The Change.org petition, which was launched by Tilly Wilton earlier this month, has already accrued more than 200 signatures. It calls for existing laws to be fully enforced on Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPC) which travel at more than 15.5 miles per hour.

The petition continues: “If a vehicle is not an EAPC it can only be ridden on a road; the rider must have a valid driving licence and the vehicle must be insured. E-Bikes are common in Leith and particularly on the cycle paths on Leith Walk: many of them are not legally compliant.

“The presence of vehicles which are essentially mopeds on a pedestrian street is antisocial and dangerous. You'll find many stories online of deaths caused by non-EAPCs: Gloria Stephenson in Sunderland, Ibrahim Shaaban in West London to name a couple.

“Please sign this petition to show your support for this cause; we need immediate action from our elected representatives and Police Scotland.”

A petition has been launched to stop the use of illegal e-bikes on Leith Walk

Featured comments on the petition from two supporters describe the feeling towards e-bikes on the busy Leith street.

One commenter, named Phil on Change.org/, said: “As a disabled person who spends a lot of time on Leith Walk, these things are a menace and the drivers are all too happy to flaunt the rules”

Another, named Pauline, said: “I was threatened by balaclava bike thugs, I want them gone.”

Police Scotland’s Vehicle Recovery Scheme report shows that 39 e-bikes, e-scooters or e-pedal bikes were seized in Edinburgh during the first quarter of 2026. It’s a marked increase from the same time period in 2025 – when 17 were seized. A total of 119 were seized by police in 2025.

In May 2024, nine people were charged in connection with road traffic offences in Leith during a day of police action to target the use of illegal e-bikes and e-scooters.

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A Freedom of Information release from the Scottish Government in January 2026, showed that there had been 34 reported accidents involving e-bikes across Scotland since 2020 - with one fatality.

In February of this year, Police Scotland Chief Inspector, Greg Dinnie, said: “Officers continue to respond to incidents where illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters are seen or reported by members of the public on the roads or other public places.

“It is not only illegal to use e-scooters and certain types of e-bikes on the roads, but also dangerous with several people having suffered significant injury falling from these machines or having been struck whilst riding illegally on roads.

“Officers will continue to stop and seize illegally used e-bikes and e-scooters, and we would urge members of the public to only use those designed and intended for use on the road and stop placing themselves and others in danger.”

Police Scotland has been approached for comment.