The Queensland Government has passed divisive e-mobility laws that include licensing requirements, parental supervision for young riders, and increased penalties for those caught riding illegal e-bikes.
The largely regressive laws, which take effect from August 31, will follow an eight-week crackdown "on the most dangerous e-scooter and e-bike behaviours on roads and paths."
However, Shane Prior, the head of the Queensland Police Union, said resources are already stretched to the limit and reports of e-bike infringements will be placed well down the priority list.
Speaking on ABC Brisbane radio, Prior added that the logistics of police having to transport confiscated e-bikes back to a station and find storage space for potentially dangerous, lithium-battery-powered illegal bikes will add extra layers of complexity to the legislation.
The laws, ironically passed on World Bicycle Day, include 122 amendments to the initial bill. Many aspects of the new laws, such as the requirement for compliance labels, distinctions between shared paths and footpaths, and whether food delivery riders will require a licence, remain unclear.
The Labor opposition describes the laws as "a dog's breakfast", however the Queensland Government say they will deliver:
- Licensing requirements for riders, with exemptions for medical conditions and disabilities, and the ability for 12–17-year-olds to ride under parental supervision from August 31.
- Parental accountability for children under 16 riding illegally, from July 1
- Police powers to conduct random breath tests for riders in public places from July 1.
- E-bikes and scooters, which can exceed 25km/h unassisted, will be banned, and a 12km speed limit will apply near pedestrians, from July 1.
- Higher penalties for speeding, failure to wear a helmet, careless riding, illegally carrying passengers and riding Personal Mobility Devices on prohibited roads from July 1.
- Riders over the 0.05 blood alcohol limit will face fines of more than $500, with maximum court penalties of up to $6,908.
- Police powers to seize and destroy illegal devices from July 1.
- Those aged 12-17 can use e-mobility devices with parental supervision, and those with a medical condition or disability who don’t have a licence will be able to use e-mobility devices under a medical exemption framework.
Brent Mickelberg, the Minister for Transport and Main Roads, said the Crisafulli Government was responding to concerns from the community around e-scooter and e-bike use across the state.
“After Labor’s decade of inaction, we always said we would make the tough decisions to keep the community safe,” the Minister said.
“Labor’s hypocrisy on this is breathtaking. After a year calling for knee-jerk reactions and band-aid solutions, they voted to back the hoons and the hooligans who are terrorising Queenslanders.
“The Crisafulli Government is committed to making Queenslanders safer – while Labor has voted to kick the can down the road and for the problem to keep getting worse.
“Our reforms are based on extensive community and expert consultation, and they strike the right balance between keeping Queenslanders safe from those doing the wrong thing, while backing those who do the right thing.
“We promised to deliver nation-leading laws about who can ride, what they can ride, where they can ride, and how fast – and our laws will do exactly that.”