Bicycle Network members keen to hear the latest on the e-bike regulation crisis logged on in large numbers to see the E-Bike Forum presentation in early September.
A panel of experts assisted by industry specialists and community members spelled out the issues facing riders and the industry as the accumulation of battery fires from poorly built and non-compliant machines has triggered federal and state governments to urgently review regulations.
Already there are proposals to ban e-bikes from trains in Melbourne and Sydney. And courts have been sternly critical of how large numbers of what they determine to be electric motorcycles are masquerading as e-bikes as they travel on bike infrastructure.
Key points to emerge included:
- e-bikes have to be no more than 250 watts, have no assist over 25km/h, and no throttle, except for walking speed assist
- we do need a new category for load-carrying cargo bikes
- police are focused on rider behaviours more than the bikes
- the speeds that modified bikes achieve are feeding into road trauma
- from 2021 import permits were not needed for imports and as a result poor quality bikes flooded into the country
- with the lack of federal leadership, states have done their own thing, so are no longer harmonised
- Bicycle User Groups are most concerned about proposed e-bike bans as many rides comprise a public transport segment
- responsible riders feel penalised although they have gone to the trouble of obtaining high-quality bikes
- Trek do not allow e-bikes that don’t meet standards to be serviced in their bike stores because of the fire risk
- one bike brand, Zoomo, specialises in legally compliant bikes for delivery riders. Their competition is selling bikes from shipping containers on vacant blocks in the outer suburbs
- the Western Australian Minister for Transport has agreed to lead an initiative for nationally harmonised reregulation.
Watch the full forum below.
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