Walton supports the use of e-bikes but wants to see a strict crackdown to stop riders from making places like Manly Corso and the Manly Beach walk too dangerous for people on foot. He wants council rangers to be granted extra powers to stop and seize bikes they suspect to be illegally modified or non-compliant.
“Rangers and police need the power to examine bikes to see if they have been unlawfully modified,i.e.[whether] pedal assistance and speed limiting has been removed. If these things are taken away they are essentially an unregistered motorbike.”
He’s not alone. Fellow ex-police officer and northern beaches local Pat Daley embraces e-bikes as a way for locals to get around hilly Manly with a bit of extra help but says the amount of dangerous and illegal riders around town is unlike anything he has seen in his policing career.
“The elderly are being forced off the footpaths … and these kids are going to make dreadful drivers when they get their driver’s licences,” he said.
In one incident last year, a woman walking down a suburban road in the northern beaches was injured when an e-bike rider smashed into her from behind,CCTV capturing the moment she was collected by the bike rider who took off,not even stopping to check if she was OK.
The illegal bikes aren’t smuggled into the country or sold on the black market – anyone of any age can walk into any bike shop and purchase one freely. The bikes themselves are legal to ride on private property,with the restrictions on speed and wattage only applying when they are in public spaces.
Many Australian stores selling e-bikes,including fat bikes,incorrectly claim that locks prevent higher-powered bikes from reaching more than the legal limits of speed and power and make them legal for use in public. But a Transport for NSW spokesperson confirmed that even if a bike has an optional lock on its power and speed,just the fact that it is capable of higher wattage or speed makes it illegal to ride in public.
NSW e-bike rules
- Power-assisted bikes with motors must have a power cap of 200 watts,cannot be propelled solely by motor,must weigh less than 50 kilograms,and have a height adjustable seat.
- Electrically power-assisted bikes can have power up to 500 watts,which must reduce when the speed reaches beyond 6km/h,and cut off when speeds reach 25km/h.
- Petrol-powered bikes are illegal.
- E-bikes are legal for use on shared paths and roads,and on footpaths for those under 16 and adults accompanying them.
- There are no age restrictions on riding e-bikes.
After a rise in complaints,Northern Beaches Council launched a safety audit last July and received 82 resident complaints about e-bikes and e-scooters in just six weeks.
“Last year,council collaborated with the Northern Beaches Police Area Command to audit e-bikes and scooters on local paths. This audit has confirmed several safety issues,including speed,lack of helmet usage,and limited knowledge of NSW road rules among young riders,” Northern Beaches Council Mayor Sue Heins said.
“We would also urge the federal government to monitor and control the importation of non-compliant bikes,as well as introduce a simple way to identify both legal and illegal types through a compliance plate or similar.”
It’s not just a northern beaches problem. In the Sutherland Shire,Cronulla Mall has become a hotspot for teens riding fast e-bikes despite bikes being banned on the strip.
Sutherland Council has received 60 complaints in the past 12 months. A spokesperson said signs have been put up in problem areas to alert riders to restrictions,and education sessions have been held at schools to teach young people about their responsibilities.
“While council has limited powers to enforce road rules applying to e-bikes and e-scooters on public streets,[and] public safety officers have been taking part in regular joint patrols with NSW Police high visibility and bike patrol unit in identified problem areas such as Cronulla Mall and the Esplanade in Cronulla to target those riding e-bikes and e-scooters in a manner that poses a risk to pedestrians,” a spokesperson said.