The Samoa Police will now be patrolling the streets of Apia in a more eco-friendly manner thanks to the Australian government who donated $150,000 worth of electric bikes through the Samoa Australia Police Partnership (SAPP) in preparations for the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) next year.

Australia Federal Police (AFP) Mission commander, Daniel Evans said he was honoured that the Samoa Police entrusted the AFP with this part of delivering the training.

“We have delivered it to a unit who are one the most outstanding representations of the commissioner's vision in the police force. We always see them out on the road and for us we see that they are working diligently every day to keep Samoa safe,” said Mr. Evans.

The AFP instructors have been in Samoa for the last two weeks. They have been running training courses which have qualified three trainers from the Samoan Police and 16 officers who are now trained in the bicycle patrol officers program with a hundred per cent pass in the tests.

Police Commissioner, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo said he was grateful for their partnership with the Australian Government and proud of all the officers who have graduated from their two week training course.

“Today is a history in the making for the Samoa Police Service. We have got toto witness not only the official closing of the bicycle patrol officers training, but the handover of the eight recon power interceptor electric bikes by the Australian Government to the Ministry of Police and Corrections,” he said.

The eight new electric Bikes are capable of reaching the speed of 45 kilometres per hour are equipped with policing lights and service bags. This is not the first time the Australian police have offered valuable donations to the Ministry of Police but have also supported them in capacity building programs to improve the standard of service delivery to the public.

“The training and the E-bikes being donated today will greatly assist the ministry as it coincides with its preparations for the CHOGM meeting next year as well as improving the standard of our service delivery on a daily basis,” said Auapaau.

An electric bicycle (e-bike) is a motorized bicycle with an integrated electric motor used to assist propulsion. Many kinds of e-bikes are available worldwide, but they generally fall into two broad categories: bikes that assist the rider's pedal-power (pedelecs) and bikes that add a throttle, integrating moped-style functionality.

Both retain the ability to be pedaled by the rider and are therefore not electric motorcycles. E-bikes use rechargeable batteries and typically are motor-powered up to 25 to 32 km/h (16 to 20 mph). High-powered varieties can often travel more than 45 km/h (28 mph).