8,000 people on waitlist for B.C. e-bike rebate

Electric bike in a park. (Shutterstock)

One day after applications opened for e-bike rebates in B.C. there are 8,000 people on a waitlist, according to the Ministry of Transportation.

The provincial program, which offers income-based rebates between $300 and $1,400 was announced last week.

On Friday the application page displayed a message saying applications have been closed and a waitlist has been opened.

"There has been an incredible response to the B.C. e-bike rebate program," the website says.

"Please be aware that we are currently only adding names to the waitlist as current applications are being assessed for approval. Please be aware that being on the waitlist does not guarantee you will receive a rebate."

The Ministry of Transportation, in an email, told CTV News that applications closed after 4,000 were received so that staff would be able to assess eligibility and calculate how much each applicant would be entitled to. That move was made fewer than eight hours after applications opened.

"I’m very pleased to see that people are so enthusiastic about our new BC E-bike Rebate program. With almost 12,000 applications in the first 24 hours, the massive success of this program is unprecedented," Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said.

By comparison, the former e-bike rebate program received an average of 16 applications per month, according to the ministry.

With a budget of $6 million, the province estimated that up to 9,000 people will be able to access the rebates this year. If every applicant qualified for the maximum, the number of rebates the budget allows for would be about 4,250. If every applicant qualified for the minimum, 20,000 could be given out.