Chef Aldo Zilli has spoken out after his mother-in-law was injured in a “life-changing” e-bike accident, as the family calls for tighter regulations on their use.
Maureen Welch, 83, had set off for her weekly aqua aerobics class in October when she was hit by an e-bike at a pedestrian crossing in Lewisham, south-east London.
A cyclist, riding a Lime bike, had failed to stop at a red light and hit Ms Welch with full force before riding away, the BBC reported.
Ms Welch, who spent five weeks in hospital with a broken leg following the accident, said “it’s ruined my life.”
Her son-in-law, Italian chef Mr Zilli, told the news website that the accident has been “absolute devastation” for the family.
“We have had to adapt to a new life. I had to refuse work, Nicola my wife had to refuse work. It's been life-changing for the whole family,” he said.
Ms Welch is still recovering from the ordeal and now walks around with a stick.
Wall rails have also been fitted in her home to help Ms Welch move around, while a commode has been placed in her living room until she can get a downstairs toilet.
Nicola, Ms Welch’s daughter, told the BBC there are “no rules or regulations” governing electric bikes.
She said it was “unacceptable” that her mother had been safely crossing the road when the accident happened.
“They can speed, run red lights, use mobile phones, and swerve onto pavements,” she added.
E-bike operators are ultimately responsible for ensuring their bikes are deployed and parked appropriately.
Some local councils have limited powers to manage designated no-parking zones, but they cannot regulate schemes. This falls to the Department for Transport.
A spokesperson for the mayor of London said: "The mayor and Transport for London continue to lobby government about the dangers of unregulated e-bikes.
"The government has announced plans to provide cities with the powers to manage dockless e-bikes and improved safety should be at the centre of better regulation in the future."
Meanwhile, actress and author Dame Joan Collins, 92, has lashed out at the “loutish” users of dockless e-bikes in London.
The former Dynasty star took to Instagram with a scathing post after coming face to face with dozens of abandoned Lime Bikes.
She captioned the picture: “#shocked about the #loutish behavior of @lime #bicycle users #pavementsareforpedestrians #limebike”.
Last week the Standard revealed Lime and Forest, the capital’s two main operators cycle hire companies, have been sent more than £30,000 in penalty fines under Transport for London’s latest crackdown on e-bikes that had been dumped and left blocking pavements.
TfL uses CCTV to gather evidence of e-bikes obstructing roads.
Photos are sent to the firms, urging them to move the offending bikes.
TfL commissioner Andy Lord said: “Since January, we have been actively addressing the issue of e-bikes abandoned on the highway through Operation Clearway.
“Our officers have been stationed at key hotspots across London to identify and report such cases.”
