Problems and shortcomings are identified by citizens who had applied for a subsidy for the purchase of an electric bicycle, to the Ministry of Transport, complaining about the amount of money and the specifications set by the Department of Road Transport. A complaint expressed on politis.com.cy by a person who received approval, concerns his inability to both find a bike and pay the difference, despite the fact that he can now get the deposit. The same complaints are made by a market player in Cyprus, who tells politis.com.cy that bicycles which are subject to the specifications given by the State are hard to find, because of their cost, as well as the purpose for which they have been manufactured. As a result, citizens go to the shops with their letter of approval in hand, determined to buy an electric bicycle, but in the end leave disappointed. The Ministry of Transport, for its part, explains on our website that the procedures were done after a study, while evaluation and corrective actions are made.
The specifications
According to the letter of approval sent to a citizen, who expresses his complaint to politis.com.cy, the amount of the sponsorship amounts to 1000 euros. Also, the battery must be “Built in” or “Fit in” and the engine must be located in the center of the frame, in the position of the pedals. of the order of the bicycle, as described, within one month from its date, to an e-mail address indicated. Otherwise, the application will be deemed not approved and the prior approval will be canceled.
Complaints
According to the complaint received by politis.com.cy, a person who had been approved for the purchase of an electric bicycle, searching online stores that specialize in these vehicles, was informed by an importer that a bicycle that meets the TOM specifications, except that it was very expensive, in three weeks it would be possible to import them to Cyprus. Therefore, it would not meet the one-month deadline stated in the approval letter.
He then went to four different stores, whose service staff replied that the specifications set by TOM are unheard of and that motorized bicycles in the center are not available in Cyprus. In one of the stores, it was informed that customers who had bought bicycles that met the specifications, were forced to return them to the store, after they had been rejected in the technical inspection at TOM – the inspection is mandatory, for the purpose of approving the sponsorship. This resulted in customers returning the bikes to the store, with the company in a difficult position at the end.
Another major problem for the complainant is the high cost of these bikes. As he told us, he receives € 1000, but he will have to pay another € 1300, a deterrent amount for someone to enter this market. The fact that the Government's program is funded by the European Union raises suspicions that the money will be misused, as citizens will not be able to use it.
The following bicycles are those proposed to the complainant, as available from a specific importer in Cyprus. Their price, for him, is a deterrent, even given the sponsorship of € 1000.
Import problems
A source from the electric bicycle market points out various issues on our website, arguing, first of all, that there is no way to find 240 – according to the plan & # 8211; electric bicycles for a period of six months in Cyprus, due to delays observed internationally in transport and trade. At the same time, because their specifications make them extremely expensive bikes – more than double their price, compared to those with the engine front or rear – their sales companies do not keep more than two in stock.
Moreover, the fact that the engine is in the middle, makes these bikes suitable for off-road routes, instead of traveling in the city, according to the same source. At the same time, they are more complicated, both in use and in repair.
And a complaint
The businessman in question complains on our website that, when the government had announced the sponsorship plan, a store appeared “out of nowhere” and stated that it had in stock fifteen models of electric bicycles. Their lowest selling price was 3,000 euros, with him stressing that it is very difficult for citizens to spend another 2,000 euros at least to cover the difference.
He emphasizes that the purchase price of a bicycle, which has the engine on the back, starts from 900 euros, with the difference being very obvious, compared to the prices of bicycles provided by the design and specifications of TOM. All of the above, in combination, helped citizens to come to his shops, with their letters of approval, but to leave disappointed.
Bicycles are there
A competent source from the Ministry of Transport denied the non-availability of these electric bicycles in Cyprus, talking about four people who encountered the same problem, but were referred to the same and were served by stores in Limassol, Paphos, and Nicosia. He therefore attributes the failure to find bicycles to a lack of public inquiry. In fact, he emphasizes that the choice was given to citizens to order their bicycles from abroad, he added.
In favor of quality and safety
The same source also defended the specifications that have been set, saying that sessions with the TOM and cyclists' associations followed and the aim is to avoid the purchase of low-standard bicycles, which concern both safety and quality of construction. He even referred to a study by TOM, which showed that electric bicycles, which did not meet the same specifications, had problems for two or three years.
He explained that the Ministry of Transport recognized that the specific specifications would increase the cost up to € 3000- € 4000, which is why the amount of the sponsorship amounts to € 1000.
It was extended
In The same source posed the problem of importing electric bicycles, due to problems in transport and production internationally, arising from the pandemic and the Ukrainian. The answer we received was that by instructions of the Minister of Transport, an extension was given, from six months, to twelve, a time which is more than enough for companies and citizens to introduce electric bicycles. Of the 240 bicycles involved in the project, about 150 have been approved so far, according to preliminary data.
