Peru's enforcement campaign against electric vehicles invading bicycle lanes officially began this past weekend, but the measure has not yet fully taken hold on the streets of Lima.
During a tour of Avenida Arequipa, the newspaper El Comercio found that while the presence of electric motorcycles in bike lanes has dropped compared with previous weeks, drivers are still using the lanes reserved for bicycles and personal mobility vehicles.
El Comercio did not observe any officers from the National Police of Peru (PNP) carrying out interventions or issuing tickets to violators at the points it visited. A similar picture emerged on Avenida Abancay, Avenida La Marina and Avenida Universitaria.
The findings highlight a gap between the government's announcement that enforcement had begun and what is actually happening on Lima's main bike lanes, even as authorities say they want to bring order to these vehicles and cut risks to cyclists and pedestrians.
What the Government Announced and the Penalties
The crackdown targets electric vehicles that, because of their technical specifications, are classified as motorized vehicles and must meet the same requirements as a conventional motorcycle. Under current rules, units with a manufactured top speed above 25 kilometers per hour must carry a license plate, a Vehicle Identification Card, mandatory traffic accident insurance known as SOAT, and a category B-IIa driver's license. They are barred from bike lanes and sidewalks and must travel on the roadway with other traffic.
Violators can be fined under infraction G32, which carries a penalty equal to 10% of a UIT tax unit, or 550 soles. If an intervention also finds the driver lacks a license, SOAT or a plate, the penalties can stack under the National Traffic Regulations.
No Police Operations, No Word From the PNP
El Comercio's coverage found not only continued use of bike lanes by some electric motorcycles but also no police operations tied to the start of the new measure. One traffic police officer told the newspaper that police currently do not have the tickets, forms or mechanisms needed to apply these sanctions.
El Comercio requested official information from the PNP's communications office, DIRCIMA, about planned operations, the agencies responsible for controls and the applicable penalty schedule, but had received no response by the time this report closed. The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) told the newspaper that no measure has postponed or suspended the enforcement or the announced sanctions, ruling out reports of an extended deadline.
Formalization Requirements for Owners
Beyond the bike lane ban, regulations require electric vehicles exceeding 25 km/h to complete a formalization process before they can circulate legally. That means obtaining a license plate, registering the unit, taking out active SOAT insurance, and having a driver with a category B-IIa license, along with carrying the corresponding documents while driving.
Specialists consulted by El Comercio said that when a driver breaks several of these rules at once, the infractions can be applied cumulatively, and in some cases the vehicle can be impounded at an official depot until the owner regularizes its status. Trade associations linked to electric mobility have called for an extraordinary formalization process for thousands of owners, arguing that many units were sold for years without clear information about the obligations attached to them.
Specialists Question the Lack of Enforcement
Mario Candia, a civil engineer and international traffic engineering specialist, said the scene documented by El Comercio reflects a deeper problem than the launch of a single campaign. He said traffic rules have historically not been enforced on a permanent basis.
Candia said police spend most of their time acting as human traffic signals rather than enforcing illegal conduct, calling this a serious distortion of the police's role. He said that when illegal conduct goes unpunished, drivers repeat it, eventually coming to feel that breaking the rules is a right, which degrades road culture. He noted the ban on motorcycles using bike lanes is not new, and that what has been missing is not the law but constant enforcement of it every day, not only through occasional operations.
Retired Colonel Cites Years of Neglect
Franklin Barreto Verastegui, a retired PNP colonel and traffic specialist, agreed the problem predates the current enforcement push. He said regulations have existed for many years, yet vehicles requiring compliance were allowed into the market and sold as if no documentation were needed.
Barreto said a proper police intervention involves more than issuing a ticket. If a driver lacks a plate, license or SOAT, he said, the vehicle must be seized and impounded at a depot as part of the procedure. He added that authorities should have paired the measure with a stronger information campaign, since many buyers believed no paperwork was required because that is what they were led to believe. Candia agreed there was a significant communication gap, saying the information the public received came mainly from manufacturers and was not always accurate, leaving many people misled about their legal obligations. Both specialists said the challenge now is sustaining enforcement, improving coordination among authorities and giving users clear rules.
