Councils across Sydney are calling for a crackdown on e-bikes which have taken over the city’s footpaths and made pedestrians feel unsafe.
A NSW Parliamentary inquiry into the use of the electric-powered bicycles has received submissions from more than a dozen local governments, including Northern Beaches Council, which said some of its residents ‘no longer feel safe’ on sidewalks.
The dangerous use of the devices has also drawn attention in other cities, with police in Brisbane fining more than 50 e-bike and e-scooter riders during a 24-hour blitz on January 17 and Melbourne cops fining 130 in one-day during a clamp down last year.
E-bikes and e-scooters have become increasingly popular in recent years but have resulted in some sidewalks being clogged up by a heap of bikes collapsed on the ground, while pedestrians are forced to dodge riders flying down the footpath.
Willoughby Council on Sydney’s lower north shore said in a submission to the inquiry that there should be defined size and weight restrictions on e-bikes and that police and council rangers be given more powers to regulate them.
Sutherland Council in the city’s south said e-bikes should be required to be fitted with noise devices to alert pedestrians and decrease the likelihood of collisions – as well as more funding for bike lanes.
Northern Beaches Council said some of its residents were ‘reporting that they are reconsidering their ability to walk as a transport option, impacting physical health and social inclusion outcomes’.
It said some of those riding the bikes – which can legally reach speeds of 25km/h – were as young as 10 and may not be able to appropriately evaluate and manage risks.
‘For community members who have experienced a near miss, who have a trauma history or who are particularly frail there is a psychological impact from not feeling safe using our footpaths,’ the council said.
North Sydney Council also called for more funding for separate lanes for e-bikes and said governments should work more closely with food delivery services, such as Uber, to ensure riders it employed were aware of the road rules.
Sales of e-bikes have soared in recent years, more than tripling between 2020 and 2022.
Advocacy group Bicycle NSW argued the use of e-bikes was positive and that slapping riders with fines should be a last resort.
‘Warnings and education are the first step and policing must not disincentivise active transport,’ it said.
Transport for NSW said while it encouraged the use of e-bikes, they must meet the legal framework including restrictions on their speed.
‘Transport for NSW works closely with NSW Police, which is responsible for the enforcement of road transport offences for non-compliant e-bikes, including the power to seize any unregistered or illegal device,’ a spokeswoman said.
‘Transport for NSW continues to develop and increase e-bike safety messaging in road safety campaigns.’
The state inquiry is looking into multiple aspects around the use of e-bikes including their role in relieving traffic congestion and ‘opportunities to reform the regulatory framework to achieve better and safe outcomes for riders and the community’.
In NSW, Victoria and Queensland, e-bikes are legal on public roads but must not exceed 25km/h and the same rules as pedal-powered bicycles apply, such as wearing a helmet and not riding on pedestrian-only footpaths.
E-scooters are allowed in Victoria and Queensland but are not yet allowed on public property in NSW.
Last year, the NSW government announced it would introduce new product requirements around lithium batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters which have been responsible for sparking hundreds of fires in Australia alone.
Manufacturers could be hit with fines in excess of $800,000 if they sell products which fail to meet the standards.
