Council forced to apologise after claiming e-bikes help women 'look nice'

A London council has issued an apology after an equality document suggested electric bikes enable women to fulfil their "traditional domestic responsibilities" and "stay looking nice".

Kingston council included the statement in an equality impact assessment linked to a report about an e-bike hire contract.

The assessment claimed e-bikes "may increase women's access to cycling and physical activity by making it easier for women to meet their traditional domestic responsibilities, as well as stay looking 'nice' on a bike".

The authority acknowledged the document featured an "outdated and inappropriate" description of cycling benefits for women.

The council subsequently republished the document with revised language.

A resident contacted the Liberal Democrat-controlled council to raise concerns about the language used.

She accused the authority of operating a "two-tier approach to equality" by "treating women as second-class citizens".

In her complaint, she wrote: "There is no place for this kind of disturbing statement to be made in today's society at all, let alone in an equalities impact assessment."

The complainant argued such wording was particularly inappropriate given it appeared in a document designed to assess equality impacts.

The authority explained the controversial phrase originated from a peer-reviewed academic paper that informed their assessment.

Officials acknowledged they used the quote "in isolation and without reference" which was "likely to cause offence" and stated it "should never have been included".

The academic research was published in Active Travel Studies in 2021 and focused on the impact of electric bikes on women in Auckland, New Zealand.

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That study concluded e-bikes simultaneously reinforced and challenged conventional gendered mobility ideals, saying: "This new bike technology makes it easier for women to meet their traditional domestic responsibilities, as well as stay looking 'nice' on a bike."

The council said: "This description does not align with the council's commitments to fairness, inclusivity and protecting the rights of all women and girls.

"We would like to sincerely apologise for this error and for any offence caused."

The revised document now states: "E-bikes may increase active travel amongst women as well as the wider population by for example enabling carrying of goods or shopping and allowing more complex trip chaining that people with caring responsibilities may face more regularly."

The resident who raised the initial complaint posted on social media that the updated language "still frames women in terms of assumed roles, rather than providing a balanced, evidence-based assessment".

The equality assessment retains language stating e-bikes are "challenging sexism in cycling in important ways: making bike retail and repair environments more inclusive for women, challenging sexism in bike design and marketing and increasing women's sense of confidence and entitlement to occupy the road space."

The authority confirmed it would review its procedures for conducting equality impact assessments.