Dear Editor,

I noticed a reference to electric bicycles in last Thursday's edition.

All the electric bicycles that I have seen have had PEDals as well as a MOtor and so are MOPEDs.

None of the small-engined petrol-powered scooters that I have seen have PEDals and therefore are not moPEDs.

This is not rocket science.

In this topsy-turvy world we have the absurd situation that something that is in fact a moped is not referred to as such. And small scooters which are not in fact mopeds are referred to as such.

Mopeds are not a new phenomenon. They have been around since at least the 1950's.

Some may remember the Cyclemaster, apparently favoured by rural travelling midwives, amongst others. And low capacity motorcycles have been around since the dawn of the motor age.

Where has this confusion arisen from?

Yours

Philip Bowman

6 Lynton Avenue

London N12 9JH

020 8445 2844