More Sydney schools are making it mandatory for students to complete a safety course and obtain a private registration plate if they wish to ride an e-bike to school, as debate continues around broader licensing and regulation in the state.
St Luke’s Grammar School in Dee Why has introduced a mandatory program for students who ride e-bikes to school. Students must complete an online test to receive the number plate.
The test is run by E-Bike Safety Australia and covers topics including road rules, safe riding behaviour, and what to do if something goes wrong.
Manly’s Stella Maris College was the first school in NSW to introduce an e-bike program in 2024, and other schools are now considering similar requirements.
St Luke’s dean of students, Gaby Smith, said the program was introduced with safety as the priority, while recognising the independence e-bikes provide students and families.
The move comes as the issue of e-bike regulation is being debated at state level.
Independent Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby recently introduced the Road Legislation Amendment (E-Bike Regulation) Bill 2025, which proposes licensing and registration for e-bike riders.
“The premise is simple, if you drive a motorised bike you should know the road rules and be able to be held to account for complying with them,” Ms Scruby said.
The Independent said the Government’s current approach focuses too heavily on punitive measures without properly considering practical safety reforms.
“It’s ludicrous to believe you can seize and crush your way out of the e-bike problem,” she added.
“Licensing and registration are being ignored by the NSW Government, but it is the missing link in addressing dangerous riding and supports insurance that protects those injured by bikes - like a Northern Beaches resident who is now facing $30,000 in medical costs following a recent accident.”
Ms Scruby believes that if bikes had number plates, mass gatherings and major ‘rideouts’ would be easier for police to monitor and investigate.
“There is a lot of anti-social and illegal behaviour that can happen on a legal e-Bike and without registration, there’s limited opportunity for enforcement or to deter behaviour,” she added.
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