If you spend any time walking around Sydney, you’ll know the unique sense of fear that comes from being overtaken, at speed, by a teenager on a chugging, Mad Max-style e-bike. Souped up e-bikes are a bit of a menace if they're on our pavements, but, along with e-scooters, they’re a relatively environmentally-friendly way to get around. And while some of our city’s key transport routes are under construction (we’re looking at you, Sydenham to Bankstown metro conversion), the more transport options we have, the better. Now, the NSW government has put forward a plan to allow e-scooters onto shared paths across NSW – plus new rules for e-bike riders.
The NSW Government’s “e-micromobility Action Plan” was floated back in October, providing a potential framework to legalise the use of e-scooters on Sydney’s shared pedestrian and cycle paths. Today, the plan is being submitted, with the state government set to move forward with the new approach. The “safety-focused framework” involves the introduction of new rules and speed limits for e-scooters on shared paths, a review of road rules and dedicated work to limit e-bikes modification and battery fires.
The new plan – informed by recommendations from a recent Parliamentary Inquiry into the use of e-scooters and e-bikes – involves legalising the use of e-scooters on shared paths with a default speed limit of 10-20 kilometres per hour. According to the plan, e-bikes and e-scooters will also be allowed to travel on roads that are signposted at kilometres per hour (and below), with a 20kph speed limit. E-bikes and e-scooter riders will need to give way to pedestrians when using shared paths, and helmets will be mandatory. Once the plan is officially approved, the use of e-scooters will be legal for independent riders aged over 16, and the new rules around speed limits for e-bike riders will be clearly communicated.
According to NSW Minister for Transport John Graham, the government is aiming to create “a clear path forward when it comes to properly integrating and regulating this relatively new form of transport”.
Currently, there are more than a million e-bikes and e-scooters in NSW, but regulation around their use and modification is limited. It’s currently illegal to ride e-scooters on public roads and paths in NSW, but rules around e-bikes at the moment are lax and pretty confusing – with e-bike riders not understanding their duty to give way to pedestrians, and modifications making the bikes pretty hazardous (as fire risks and safety risks on the roads).
“These devices are creating an evolution in how people move around – and that’s a good thing, but we need to get the balance right,” says Minister for Transport John Graham.
The proposed regulations and road rule changes are due to be progressed over the next few months, supported by communication initiatives to build awareness. Intrigued? You can learn more over here.
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