Riders rally to save legal e-bikes

Bicycle Queensland is calling on riders to join a public pop-up event in Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens on April 21 (7:15 – 8:30am), as concerns grow over proposed changes to Queensland’s e-mobility laws. The event, centred around the message #savelegalebikes, will highlight the real-world impact of the draft legislation. This includes rendering most current safe, legal e-bikes non-compliant on the 1st of July, and banning riding of e-bikes at over 10km/h on much of the state’s bikeway network. 

Bicycle Queensland CEO Dr Matt Burke said the proposed changes risk undermining years of progress in active transport. 

“These are everyday riders on safe, legal e-bikes, purchased from reputable retailers. They are not the dangerous high-speed devices the Government was meant to be focusing on,” Dr Burke said. “Hardly any bikes have the permanent marking from the manufacturer saying “EN15194(2017)A+1″ that the draft bill requires. If you don’t have that marking there is no pathway in the legislation to become compliant, even if your bike meets all the standards, is low-powered and low-speed.”

More than 200,000 safe, legal e-bikes will be affected, and at least as many riders.  These safe legal e-bikes are worth over $900,000 according to Bicycle Industries Australia (BIA) estimates. 

Dr Burke said, “If this legislation is passed in its present form, we will effectively kill safe, legal e-biking in Queensland by the end of the year. There is a short amnesty, but without a pathway to compliance, my bike and hundreds of thousands of others will be junk.” 

At the event, riders will be invited to have their bikes investigated , with results publicly tallied to demonstrate the scale of the issue. Brisbane riders can also see maps of all the routes they will no longer be able to ride more than 10km/h, removing so much of the bikeway network. The exercise is designed to show how broadly the changes could impact ordinary Queenslanders. BQ will also be joined by eScootNow who will also do a pop-up safety check for personal mobility devices (PMDs).

Bicycle Queensland is advocating for targeted amendments, including: 

·         A clear pathway to compliance for existing e-bikes  

·         Removal of proposed 10km/h speed limits on shared paths  

·         No introduction of age restrictions  

·         No requirement for riders to hold a driver’s licence  

“Safe, legal e-biking is not, and has never been the problem,” Dr Burke said. “We are making Queensland the most difficult place on earth to ride a safe, legal e-bike, without fixing the real problem. The dangerous high-speed illegal devices will still be on sale in the very same shops currently selling them on 1^st July under this draft bill.”

The event will also provide an opportunity for riders to share their experiences and explain how the proposed laws would affect their daily travel, recreation, and wellbeing. 

Bicycle Queensland is encouraging all riders, supporters, and community members to attend and make their voices heard. Event details are on our event calendar.