Image: Electric bike via Instagram @sydneyelectricbikes (left), Sydney CBD via Unsplash @brrknees (right)
A new parliamentary report on electric bikes and scooters has suggested lowering car speed limits to 30km/h in city centres and allowing bikes on footpaths.
The NSW parliamentary inquiry into the use of e-scooters, e-bikes, and similar mobility options concluded that while fat bikes raise specific safety concerns, e-bikes are generally a valid and practical mode of transportation.
The recommendation is part of a broader set of 34 proposals aimed at improving cycling across the state.
The parliamentary report noted that the rise of e-mobility devices like e-bikes and scooters offers eco-friendly transportation and reduced car ownership costs. However, the current laws and infrastructure have not yet kept up with this growth.
The report criticised NSW governments for being reactive, addressing issues only as they arise. This approach has been deemed unsustainable, posing risks to public safety, and leading to preventable incidents.
Urgent Need for Stronger E-Mobility Regulation in NSW
Issues such as poorly parked e-bikes, battery fires, delivery riders speeding on sidewalks, and unsafe riding practices highlight the need for a proactive strategy to regulate and manage e-mobility devices safely and effectively
Three main findings within a recent report on e-mobility devices in New South Wales include concerns over safety, accessibility, and management:
- The rise of ‘fat bikes’ and unsafe rider behaviour is causing safety concerns for pedestrians in NSW, with unclear regulations making it difficult to manage and enforce safety measures.
- Introducing a bureaucratic registration system for e-mobility devices could create barriers, particularly for low-income users, limiting accessibility.
- Despite claims from shared e-bike operators about effective management of parking and pathway issues, these problems persist and are negatively affecting public safety and convenience.
Inquiry chair Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann expressed the need for urgent action, writing in the report, “The issues we are seeing with e-mobility devices are not so much about the devices themselves – they are signs that the rules and the way we enforce them are outdated or ineffective.”
Rising Safety Concerns Over Reckless Food Delivery E-Bike Riders
Concerns have been raised about food delivery e-bike riders engaging in illegal and reckless behaviour, such as riding at high speeds on footpaths.
Many riders are also distracted by mobile phones used for navigation, further increasing safety risks for pedestrians.
Kobi Shetty MP, Member for Balmain, noted that gig economy riders, often under pressure to earn on piecework wages, sometimes engage in unsafe practices like speeding in pedestrian areas, creating risks for vulnerable road users.
MP Shetty stressed the importance of balancing efforts between “improving rider conduct and maintaining the shift away from cars as local and short-trip delivery vehicles.”
Executive Manager of City Access and Transport Sebastian Smyth also highlighted the need for appropriate regulation and fair working conditions to protect the safety and well-being of gig economy workers, including food delivery riders.
Smyth stated, “There is an increasing number of transport workers using bikes to serve the community’s growing demand for and reliance on deliveries and people working as delivery riders have the right to appropriate regulation and working conditions to keep them safe at work.”
Similar discussions around reducing speed limits in school zones have been seen in other regions, with the Australasian College of Road Safety advocating for a 30km/h limit in Tasmania, based on evidence that lower speeds significantly reduce the likelihood and severity of pedestrian injuries, particularly for children.
Both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the OECD have advocated for 30km/h speed limits in areas with high pedestrian traffic, particularly near schools and playgrounds, as part of a Safe System approach to road safety. Their recommendations support a critical need for measures that protect vulnerable road users.
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