Lecturer proposes e-bikes as a solution to rapid urbanisation, decarbonisation in cities

With traditional public mass transportation changing and more mobility alternatives arising, University of Johannesburg researcher and lecturer Mpho Gololo has suggested electric bicycles, or e-bikes, as a viable solution for certain use cases.

In a paper presented at the Southern African Transport Conference, on July 10, he said there was a great need to lower the carbon footprint of transportation in the country, which may be achieved by combining multiple modes of mobility and the electrification of transport.

With 2.5-billion people expected to reside un urban areas globally by 2050, there is likely to be immense pressure on the road network, leading to increasing levels of pollution and traffic congestion.

To this end, Gololo deemed cycling an effective and equitable transportation mode for short trips, particularly if integrated with mass public transit systems.

He said cycling could be considered a mode of individual transportation and in certain contexts as a feeder mode to mass transportation systems.

An e-bike saves an average 249 g of CO₂ emissions for every kilometre travelled, not to mention cost savings for commuters.

More cyclists on the road would effectively reduce air and noise pollution, as well as offer lower infrastructure cost and spatial requirements, he added.

E-bikes offer travel speeds of between 25 km/h and 35 km/h over a distance range of between 30 km and 80 km.

As road conditions, traffic congestion and poorly maintained rail infrastructure worsen, e-bikes had become an increasingly viable option for short-trip commuters or for delivery services such as Uber Eats and Mr Delivery, Gololo said.

It is also a safer and quicker option for students needing to travel from one point on a university campus to another point.

Such an endeavour requires significant investment into dedicated bike lanes and cycle tracks to ensure safety for commuters, as well as road signage and markings to indicate shared road spaces.

An e-bike rental scheme could provide access to bicycles for short-term use, which would require investment in docking stations and rental stations, with enough stations needing to be located close to workplaces and commercial areas in cities.

In turn, e-bikes would require charging infrastructure at key points such as transit hubs or commercial centres, as well as battery swapping stations. Gololo explained that e-bike systems could use removable batteries that could be swapped at designated stations to extend the range of e-bike travel.

Importantly, clear regulations and policies would be essential for the safe and legal use of e-bikes on roadways, he pointed out.

On the safety front, Gololo said secure authentication systems could ensure valid users were able to swap batteries and that sensors could be used to track and trace each bicycle. Sensors could also be used for detecting any unauthorised access or tampering with the e-bike.

Safety can further be enhanced through an application installed on the rider’s mobile on which the person can signal for emergency assistance.

Such software can also accurately determine the distances travelled with an e-bike and determine the cost of rental for the customer.

Admittedly, Gololo said developing countries faced significant challenges in adapting road and e-bike infrastructure to meet the demands of green transportation and that legacy systems imposed financial burdens and limited the allocation of funds for public urban transport.

However, for smaller use cases, such as at universities or for use by delivery service provider, it can be a viable solution to switch from vehicles to e-bikes in a shorter amount of time.

With people becoming more urbanised, shared e-bike systems could solve a lot of problems related to rapid urbanisation, he argued.

Gololo mentioned that the introduction of incentives on ownership, driving and manufacturing of e-bikes by government could rapidly increase their adoption.