I am a very big fan of motorcycles, especially small ones that one uses to get from point a to point b on a regular basis, short range. I had this 50cc Sachs Madass scooter/underbone motorcycle, and it could take me 200km on a AUD$5 5L of fuel.
In australia the law is very prejudiced against motorised small vehicles like this. They practically outlawed petrol powered engines, even when the device was a dinky little scooter with only 20cc, they basically only permitted electric ones, and you would probably know how crappy they are, 30-40km max range, long charging time, and far more limited carrying capacity.
How exactly is it the business of anyone else if I want to ride around on a somewhat more dangerous, harder to see small vehicle as a way to save money? Is this not also prejudicial against young people getting out there and making an effort to start business enterprises?
Not only that, speaking of Uber, it is not difficult to make one of these very small vehicles that can carry passengers. As competition for the Uber market share starts to hot up, there is also courier services. Both of these could accommodate the use of powered bicycles like yours.
Its pretty easy to add a spare seat to the bike, or better yet a passenger cart. In the US laws very from state to state. In Wisconsin as long as the bike is under 80cc it's not considered a motor vehicle. So I can ride it pretty much anywhere, and don't necessarily have to follow the speed limit.
I actually find it to be less dangerous than a car. I have been involved in a few bad car accidents, including a hit and run that I was lucky to walk away from. The bike is easier to maneuver in and out of traffic, and faster from point A to point B in the city. If I come up on a line of cars, I just go around them. I get to my job in around 6-7 minutes a day, by car it would take me 10 min. For bigger cities where a lot of people use ride share or Uber to get to work, or take taxis, this would be cost effective solution.