‘Shouldn’t come at the expense of safety’: Call for action on e-bikes

Cycling and walking advocates have backed calls for “urgent” action on shared e-bikes after Sydney’s lord mayor demanded change.

Clover Moore said in a Facebook post last week that she called on the NSW government for regulation and a cap on the number of e-bikes a year ago, but that nothing has been done.

She says she gets complaints about speeding and unsafe behaviour related to the bikes and says the state government “must not shift responsibility to under-resourced councils”.

“A year later, the NSW government still hasn’t consulted with councils or the community on any draft regulations to manage this important issue – and there is no indication that regulation will be coming,” she said.

In a mayoral minute, she said many food delivery riders “use footpaths as it’s often seen as the safest and quickest option.”

However she says these workers “deserve safe conditions” and says SafeWork NSW must do more.

Last year, almost 2 million e-bike trips were made in the City of Sydney, with the number expected to rise to 2.6 million this year.

Police can issue fines to those found breaking the rules and councils can impound share bikes in some circumstances, but Moore said City of Sydney doesn’t have unlimited space to store them.

“Their use should not come at the expense of pedestrian safety and amenity,” Moore said in the minute from the latest City of Sydney council meeting on June 23.

Moore said she is “concerned” about the exploration of a plan to legalise e-bikes on pavements.

The Transport for NSW plan also proposes legalising escooters on shared paths and roads, if they are ridden by a person older than 16.

The long-serving lord mayor said the report from the state parliamentary inquiry last May failed to offer a solution for regulating the bikes, and that the death of a man who was hit by an e-scooter in Perth should offer a “stern warning” to the NSW government.

However, Harold Scrooby from the Pedestrian Council of Australia accused Moore of being “huge on talk and minuscule on action”.

“You’ve got to get serious enforcement – she should declare all the CBD as a dismount zone,” he told 9News.

“She’s been talking about this for years and doing absolutely nothing while our footpaths have been taken over by food delivery riders, the vast majority of whom have modified their bikes and are putting pedestrian life and limb at very, very serious risk.”

Bicycle NSW chief executive Peter McLean backed the call for action and said NSW needs to finalise and implement the draft shared e-bike framework it released this year.

“It has been years in the making and well overdue,” McLean said.

Moore is not the first city leader to call for action.

Waverley Council, which covers the eastern suburbs including Bondi, said it would start impounding hundreds of the bikes, and Mayor Will Nemesh has been calling for safety improvements both around their use and presence on the streets for months.

People injured by e-bikes have also asked for a crackdown, including the family of a tourist and a pregnant woman.

A Transport for NSW Spokesperson said it recognises community concerns about e-bikes and e-scooters, especially around poorly parked devices, pedestrian safety and footpath clutter.

“There are more than a million of these devices in NSW which is why we need a safety-focused framework of rules to protect riders and pedestrians.

“The NSW Government is currently working on legislation to regulate shared schemes and legalise e-scooters.

“We have been working with councils, share scheme operators and other stakeholders to ensure the reforms meet community expectations.”

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