By: Taylor Burton | Staff Writer
When Rafi Islam, a rising senior, began at the University of Lynchburg, he used his electric bike not only for transportation around campus, but also to get groceries, go to the hospital and to go on trail rides. However, a new restriction has been placed on e-bikes, prohibiting them from being used on campus.
Islam noted that this ban specifically affected international students, as e-bikes were a tremendous means of transportation. Now, Islam has been forced to use Uber and Lyft to get anywhere off campus, leading to him having to spend a considerable amount of money.
This ban shocked many students, as it seemingly came out of nowhere. Islam had already bought a new e-bike for this school year, when he found out via email that he would not be able to use it. In the student handbook, it specifically states that, “Use of wheeled recreational conveyances or vehicles (including e-bikes and e-scooters)” are prohibited from campus.
Islam then took matters into his own hands, going to the Office of Housing and Residence Life to try and come up with a solution. Through many meetings, they did come up with a compromise.
“They agreed to let me have my e-bike under two conditions: I can’t ride my e-bike on campus grounds and properties, and when I park my bike, I have to remove the battery,” said Islam.
These new rules were implemented in August 2026, however conversation regarding this topic began in January 2026. It wasn’t an easy process.
There were many discussions amongst Campus Safety and Security, the Office of Residential Experience, and the Office of Community Expectations and Restorative Practices.
Matt Scruggs, the assistant vice president for community development and chief conduct officer, was involved in this tiring process.
“There were concerns over the storage of e-bikes and the fire safety risks associated with the powering mechanisms, specifically the lithium batteries in the e-bikes, should they combust,” Scruggs said.
Even though this ban may have limited certain individuals, Scruggs said the University is more than willing to have a conversation regarding the topic. “The offices that determined that this policy was appropriate would much rather engage in conversations about the need for the policy and compromises to help navigate this policy instead of having conversations with students and families about potential fire safety risks that we can address proactively,” he said.
For more information about university rules and protocols, visit the Hornet Handbook