Potential E-bike Age Threshold Of 12 Cops Criticism For Being Too Low

Plans by the Minns Government to introduce an age threshold for e-bicycles have been welcomed by the public, but there is concern that a possible minimum age of 12 would be too low, and a major cycling advocacy group is opposed.

A review led by Transport for NSW will recommend a legal base age for riders, to be somewhere from 12 to 16. The agency will consult with child development and road safety experts, including the state-based Office for Youth, as well as minors and parents. The transport minister is expected to receive the findings and advice by June, with the Government making the ultimate decision.

Meanwhile, with groups of mostly-male teenagers on e-bikes still wreaking havoc, and the discarded vehicles cluttering footpaths in ever greater numbers, public opinion has soured. The City Hub sought the opinions of young Sydneysiders, finding strongly-held views.

Common disapprobation of riders’ conduct

In January, University of Notre Dame student Atticus Sparrow expressed frustration towards e-bike riders, telling this masthead that they are “very inconsiderate and litter our streets, taking up walking space.”

Commenting again, Sparrow was dismayed by the potential for an age threshold of 12. “As someone who walks down Oxford Street for uni, 12 being the minimum is awful, considering you have to be 16 in New South Wales to even begin driving in public.”

“I’ve seen people in public get run over. Today, myself, I almost got run into by an e-bike user on the pathway, which is usually next to the bike lane they already have in Oxford Street.”

“Today at Central, I saw a group of kids on e-bikes, and they just left them scattered, cluttering up walkways, and I could tell locals and people trying to make commutes were not super comfortable near them.”

“New South Wales should just make it that you have to ride in bike lanes, if available,” he said.

Others who commented to the City Hub also held concerns about young riders. One opined that an “age restriction is necessary, because most of these kids have little road rules awareness, and just expect that cars can see them.” She added that this “gets them into quite a few close calls or accidents on the road.”

Seventeen year-old Noah Zweck was concerned about more powerful variants, set to become illegal. “I think that we absolutely should not have kids on those massive things. I also don’t think we should have adults on them either.”

Government proceeding cautiously with age restriction

Transport minister John Graham said that the Government must be careful in its response, adding that some regional children use e-bikes to reach school. “It’s not a simple call, and it’s one that we’ve got to make, not just for Sydney, but for all of New South Wales.”

Advocacy group Bicycle NSW has released a list of answers to frequently asked questions, in response to ongoing legal reforms. The organisation says that it does not support imposing age limits for the use of “safe, legal” e-bikes.

Safe and legal e-bikes handle like regular bicycles, have limited power and do not provide assistance over 25 km/h, the group argues. “They are suitable for teenagers.”

“We do not want to lock out an entire age bracket from the opportunity to use e-bikes as a legitimate and practical form of transportation, gaining independence in a way that lowers congestion on the roads and reduces the environmental impact of our community.”

Other measures are being taken to regulate the vehicles. European restrictions on power will be re-adopted, and police will soon be able to seize and destroy illegal e-bikes. The New South Wales Liberals have called for the vehicles to be registered and plated, so that riders can be held accountable for law-breaking acts.