Some British Columbians who applied for the e-bike rebate have been waiting to receive their cash for over a year. Now, cyclists are pleading with the province to bring the program back.
Rebates kicked in last June and were based on personal income ranging between $350 to $1,400, the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure explained last year.
At the time, BC said it was investing more than $6 million in rebates, allowing as many as 9,000 people to lower the cost of their e-bike purchases.
However, when the program launched, it received nearly 1,700 submissions in the first 13 minutes and 12,000 in the first 24 hours. Since then, many people have been left wondering about the status of their rebates.
Anyone can still sign up for the rebate program but will most likely be placed on the waitlist.
Recently, Vision Zero Vancouver shared a statement pleading to “bring back the BC e-bike rebate.”
It even pointed to a UBC research that looked into e-bike rebate benefits. Researchers found that within a year of purchasing an e-bike, people reduced their weekly car travel by an average of 48 kilometres per week, a reduction of 30 to 40%.
“The incentive not only encouraged people to switch to e-bikes, it also resulted in remarkable changes in travel behaviour that persisted long after the purchase,” Dr. Alex Bigazzi, principal investigator and associate professor of civil engineering at UBC who leads REACT, said.
(2/2) The few lucky folks who got the rebate reduced their car travel by 30-40%. It’s the single largest traffic-reduction and hence collision-reduction move BC can possibly make. We need a permanent rebate program. Read more & sign the petition! https://t.co/AtvS85bdZJ
— VisionZeroVancouver (@VisionZeroYVR) September 23, 2024
So, Vision Zero is calling on the province to “end the waitlist” as “People should be able to choose an e-bike over an EV [elective vehicle].”
“If there is money for EVs, there is money for e-bikes,” advocates wrote.
Qualifying British Columbians could receive up to $4,000 for an eclectic car in rebates in BC and up to $5,000 from the federal government.
Additionally, ICBC has been distributing around $400 million in rebates. The money to eligible individuals (about 3.6 million customers) was first sent out in late May this year, and all of them should be processed by the end of July.
The rebates amount to $110 per policy for eligible individuals.
Vision Zero
Vision Zero is calling on the government to prioritize e-bike incentives, expand the program, eliminate “first-come-first-served,” and “let everyone get the rebate.”
Advocates are also urging the provincial government to consider families in the program.
“A well-built family-friendly e-bike suitable for small children can easily run $6,000 – $10,000. We need e-bikes that will last, not end up in the junkyard. Rebates should recognize that it costs more to buy an e-bike that can haul kids and groceries,” it added.
A petition is attached to Vision Zero’s demands.
Daily Hive reached out to the Transportation and Infrastructure Communications Office for comment; however, it said amid the provincial election and interregnum period, “government is in a caretaker mode, and all Government of BC communications are limited to critical health and public safety information, as well as statutory requirements.”