Amsterdam testing system that can remotely slow e-bikes down

Amsterdam is one of six European cities that will soon test a system that can remotely limit the speed of electric bicycles. Amsterdam’s traffic alderman, Melanie van der Horst, tested the system herself last week, NRC reports.

Van der Horst’s e-bike’s pedal assistance was turned off when she entered a vulnerable area - near a school, a park, a busy intersection, road works, or the scene of an accident. “I saw a child playing with a football on my screen. I got into the red a little later, and my speed was reduced to 15 kilometers per hour,” she said.

The system was developed by the Townmaking Institute, a non-profit organization that creates programs in the field of mobility and safety. It is still in an experimental phase, but Van der Horst sees a lot of promise. The system could help make Amsterdam safer again, she said.

In 2022, more than half of traffic victims in Amsterdam were on a bicycle. At least one in ten of them was on an electric bike. “The number of accidents involving cyclists is alarmingly high. Children no longer dare to cycle; the elderly get off when a souped-up fat bike comes along. More than half of all electric cyclists ride faster than the permitted 25 kilometers per hour. Nowadays, electric bicycles are much more than a bicycle that rides a little faster. They are sometimes heavy beasts that cause serious injuries in the event of an accident.”

Amsterdam will start experimenting with the system next year. Amsterdam residents can volunteer to participate. They’ll have to download an app that will show them when a speed limit is approaching and install the Townmaking Institute device on their bikes.

Five other European cities will also test the device, including Milan, Athens, and Munich. In the coming months, Amsterdam wants to consult with other European cities and manufacturers of electric bicycles on its use.

According to Paul Timmer of the Townmaking Institute, getting the device working on all e-bikes should be pretty straightforward. “There are five manufacturers and suppliers of motors for electric bicycles. They all work with similar systems,” he told the newspaper. The more complicated question is whether cities actually want to implement the system and can convince e-bike riders to use it, he said.

Van der Horst expects that this “intelligent speed adjustment” will spark a “social debate” on the extent to which the government can intervene in cyclists’ freedom. “This plan does something to cyclists’ sense of freedom,” she acknowledged. “On the other hand, their current freedom also affects the freedom of others. Their speeding now limits this.”