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Queensland’s New E-Mobility Laws Explained 

Queensland’s new e-mobility laws come into effect from 1 July 2026, introducing significant changes for riders of e-bikes, e-scooters and other personal mobility devices. 

While the Queensland Government says the reforms are aimed at improving safety and reducing serious injuries and fatalities, many riders will be wondering exactly what the changes mean for them in practice. 

Over recent months, Bicycle Queensland has worked extensively to ensure the voices of everyday riders were heard. While some of the more restrictive proposals were amended during the consultation process, several elements of the legislation remain overly complex and, in some cases, unclear. 

BQ’s campaign to defend safe, legal e-bikes
What changes from 1 July? 

Queensland Police will gain new powers to seize and destroy illegal devices, meaning those that don’t meet the requirements of the EN 15194 standard, or how they can be used. A range of new offences and penalties will apply to riders of e-bikes, bicycles, e-scooters and other personal mobility devices, along with restrictions on use. 

Drink riding laws will also be expanded. Riders, on any kind of e-bike or e-mobility device, in public places, can now be subject to Random Breath Testing. You must stay within the same 0.05% blood alcohol limit that applies to motor vehicle drivers. 

Speed limits will also change. E-scooters and other personal mobility devices must be restricted so they cannot exceed 25km/h, while e-bike motors may only provide assistance up to 25km/h as per the EN 15194 standard. Riders can still travel faster than 25km/h on an e-bike, but only under their own pedal power – and not everywhere. 

A new 12km/h speed limit will apply when riding on footpaths and when passing pedestrians on shared paths. Of course, you’ll need to know whether you are on a footpath or shared path at the time, which is not always clear. 

For e-scooters, e-skateboards and e-unicycles, access to roads with speed limits of up to 60km/h will be permitted, including on-road bicycle lanes, although riders remain limited to a maximum operating speed of 25km/h as per e-mobility speed limits. E-bikes are still able to be ridden on any road unless bikes are prohibited, such as on freeways. 

Penalties have also increased substantially, with fines of $518 applying for offences including failing to wear a helmet, carrying a passenger, or riding on a prohibited road. 

Licencing and age requirements 

One of the most significant changes is the introduction of licencing requirements for riders of e-bikes, e-scooters and other personal mobility devices. 

From 31 August 2026, riders must be at least 16 years old and hold a provisional driver’s licence. 

However, the legislation includes a range of exemptions, including provisions for people with certain medical conditions or disabilities, as well as supervised riding arrangements for young people aged 12 to 17 years. There is also an exemption being developed for riding in designated areas like certain national parks and on rail trails.  

The details of these exemptions are still being clarified and those exemptions may well come into being after 1 July 2026.  

Questions still remain 

While the legislation is now law, a number of practical questions remain unanswered. 

What counts as a footpath? 

The new 12km/h speed limit applies on footpaths and when passing pedestrians on shared paths. However, many popular cycling routes across Queensland are known by names that may not align to their classification. 

For example, the Jim Soorley Bikeway is actually a shared path. Many rail trails and recreational paths carry classifications and naming conventions that may not align. Councils have built extra-wide footpaths that are clearly for sharing along designated bikeway routes, but they may not have shared path signage. This can make it confusing for riders, and of course those in charge of enforcement. 

Brisbane Valley Rail Trail Bicycle Queensland

BQ is seeking further clarification on how riders can confidently identify what rules apply in which locations. 

Is your e-bike compliant? 

The legislation introduces mandatory compliance labelling for e-bikes by 28 February 2027. 

However, many riders already own perfectly legal e-bikes that meet the accepted Australian and European specifications: 

  • Pedal assistance only 
  • Motor assistance limited to 25km/h 
  • Maximum continuous rated power of 250 watts 

Many of these bikes do not currently display EN 15194 compliance markings, as the standard was removed from import requirements in 2021 by the Morrison Government. While it has been reintroduced nationally, there are not yet compulsory reporting arrangements to back this up, and so illegal devices are still entering the country.  

The Government has consulted Bicycle Queensland and other stakeholders about processes for the promised pathway to compliance for bikes that meet the functional requirements of EN 15194. We support an assurance sticker approach working through retailers as the least-worst of the options available to Government.  

The key question is who will bear the cost of this program: the government, retailers or riders themselves. This is not yet resolved. Bicycle Queensland believes the government should wear the cost.  

How will medical exemptions work? 

The legislation provides exemptions for people who cannot obtain a driver’s licence because of medical conditions or disabilities. Once again, the Government has put out some options to stakeholders about how this might work, but details are unresolved and not yet public. 

These details will be particularly important for riders who rely on e-bikes and other e-mobility devices as a practical transport option. 

Which locations are exempt? 

Good question. The legislation allows for a list of locations where age and licencing requirements may not apply. This is expected to cover many mountain bike parks, rail trails and recreational riding locations throughout Queensland. 

However, the locations must be specifically included within the approved list, creating uncertainty until the final details are published. Bicycle Queensland would prefer that all national parks and conservation parks be exempted. We await the Qld Government’s list. 

How can this be enforced? 

This remains the largest question. 

Bicycle Queensland has been one of the strongest voices calling for more resources for the Queensland Police Service to enforce the rules on the illegal devices masquerading as e-bikes. The e-mobility laws do not include any additional resourcing for the police to do this task.  

Queensland Police will now be responsible for enforcing a framework that includes device classifications, speed restrictions, licencing requirements, age requirements, compliance standards and location-specific exemptions. 

How officers will determine whether a device is compliant, whether a rider qualifies for an exemption, or whether a path is classified as a footpath or shared path remains unclear. The new laws may be used alongside existing laws that already cover the use of unregistered motor vehicles (overpowered e-motorbikes that don’t meet EN 15194). It is going to take time for law enforcement to work out what they can and can’t do with their new powers.  

We expect that, without additional resourcing, rider behaviour will be monitored and enforced infrequently, and very rarely outside known trouble-spots.  

BQ will be closely monitoring how the legislation is implemented in practice. 

What are the practical safety outcomes? 

Bicycle Queensland supports efforts to improve safety and reduce serious injuries. However, concerns remain about whether the new laws address the primary source of risk. 

The majority of serious incidents and fatalities involving e-mobility devices have involved non-compliant, high-powered devices that do not meet Queensland’s legal definition of an e-bike or personal mobility device. Yet even after these new laws are introduced, these products can still be imported and sold in Queensland shops under existing “private property use” provisions. 

As a result, questions remain about whether the new laws will effectively target the non-compliant devices responsible for much of the dangerous and anti-social behaviour, or whether the changes will primarily impact riders already using safe, legal e-bikes responsibly. 

Bicycle Queensland’s position 

BQ will continue to work with the Queensland Government, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and the Queensland Police (QPS) to seek greater clarity around the new laws and ensure riders receive practical guidance on how to comply. 

We encourage all riders to familiarise themselves with the new requirements, ride safely and stay informed as additional information becomes available. The full list of existing rules and those being introduced is online, for both e-scooters and e-bikes.

As further details are released, BQ will continue providing updates and advocating for laws that improve safety while supporting the uptake of safe, legal and sustainable transport and recreation options. 

By becoming a member of Bicycle Queensland, you support BQ’s advocacy for bike riders in Queensland, and have insurance cover for bike riding – full details of membership inclusions can be read here.

BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.
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Advocacy

Sylvan Rd separated cycleway inching ever closer

Brisbane City Council has released two sets of concept plans for the long-asked-for safe link from the Miskin Street terminus of the Centenary Cycleway at Toowong, and the Bicentennial Bikeway.

This one of the busiest bike commuting routes in Brisbane, and it runs for 1.8km along Sylvan Rd and Land Street. Bicycle Queensland and the bicycle user groups have been asking for a safe off-road route along Syvlan Rd since the Centenary Cycleway opened in 2005.

There are two concept design options for the Sylvan Road and Land Street corridor which both provide protected bikeways separated from people walking and driving. One option provides a continuous bi-directional bikeway and the other option is part uni-directional/part bi-directional bikeway.

The bi-directional version has some advantages. In that design, Sylvan Rd would be one-way only from the Milton Rd corner east-bound to Croydon Rd intersection. Even though the proposed bikeway would cross from one side of the road to the other halfway through that section, it would be crossing only one lane of traffic.

The alternate has a single lane bikeway either side of two-way traffic, in the same Milton Rd-Croydon Rd section.

One notable improvement that is shown on both proposed designs is the removal of on-street parking for the length of Sylvan Rd. This will certainly have a safety benefit for people using the bikeway.

Both designs use a bi-directional bikeway on the north side of Sylvan Rd, from the Croydon Rd corner east-bound past Wests Rugby and Toowong Memorial Park,  and continuing along Land St until it joins the underpass towards the Bicentennial Bikeway.

Brisbane City Council is inviting people to “have their say” on these proposed designs. Bicycle Queensland’s message to our bike-riding community is to make sure you weigh in with massive support for the project. This is a bikeway that we don’t want to see held back by local residents who wrongly perceive that it will create problems for them. So hit the link and let them know!

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Advocacy

BQ’s Federal Budget reflections 

The Federal Government’s 2026-27 Budget has delivered a boost for active transport and e-bike safety, with new funding commitments that could shape how Australians ride and move for the next decade. 

Among the headline measures is a $500 million investment over 10 years for walking and cycling infrastructure, alongside targeted funding to improve e-bike product safety standards and import compliance. The new infrastructure funding package will provide $50 million annually to support the construction and upgrade of bikeways, shared paths and walking infrastructure around the country. While details on project allocation are yet to be released, the commitment marks one of the largest dedicated federal active transport investments in recent years.  

The funding arrives as state and local governments continue to grapple with rising demand for safer riding and walking corridors, particularly in growing urban areas where separated infrastructure remains limited. 

Bicycle Queensland CEO Dr Matthew Burke said: “We’re delighted to see our nation’s Active Transport Infrastructure Fund become a long-term commitment, as has long been the case with road and rail funding. This was a good move by the Commonwealth and will be well-received by the millions of Australians who ride bikes.” 

BQ is seeking a policy change that would build further cycling infrastructure as part of Commonwealth transport projects. When transport minister, Anthony Albanese sought to introduce a ‘positive provision’ policy that writes into Commonwealth grants that states must provide walking and cycling infrastructure as part of all urban road and rail projects. Footpaths and bikeways alongside and over the freeways would no longer be ‘gold-plating’ but become essential parts of the project. These policies are not controversial: they are widely adopted across the world; all Australia’s state governments have adopted them. 

The Budget also includes $6.6 million to strengthen Australia’s product safety and recall systems for e-bikes and related devices. BQ and other state and national bike advocacy groups have been calling on the Commonwealth to take such steps. The reforms are expected to focus on improving compliance with recognised standards, including the European EN15194 standard, which limits pedal-assist e-bikes to 250 watts of continuous power and pedal assistance up to 25km/h. 

Dr Burke said: “We believe this may involve new actions taken through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. This will hopefully penalise retailers who sell the most dangerous of the illegal, high-speed devices that are currently masquerading as pushbikes, and ensure they never get on our streets, paths or parks.” 

BQ is still calling on the Commonwealth to introduce compulsory declarations by e-bike importers to state that they are only bringing in product that meets EN15194. This would also help stop the illegal devices from reaching our shores. 

While the Federal Budget introduces stronger safety oversight and infrastructure funding, it stops short of offering direct purchase incentives for individuals buying e-bikes. There should be consideration for e-bikes to be included in Fringe Benefits Tax exemptions currently available for electric vehicles, as the change would help reduce congestion, emissions and transport costs. No such measure was included in this year’s Budget. 

E-bikes and e-mobility are getting people moving.

The 2026-27 Budget signals that cycling infrastructure and e-bike policy are increasingly becoming part of mainstream transport planning at a federal level. But we will wait to see how effective this seed funding can be at delivering the major infrastructure changes needed, and whether the mess of non-compliant device import and sales can be cleaned up. 

Categories
Advocacy

Understanding the impacts of Queensland’s draft e-mobility legislation

BQ's E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.

In light of the Queensland Government’s Draft e-mobility legislation, BQ hosted a pop up advocacy event in the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens on the morning of April 21. With a lot of confusion around who the laws may effect and how, we wanted to be able to meet concerned riders to either inspect their bike for compliance, and hear how the draft laws may impact them. 

BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.

With over 100 riders dropping past, many bikes were inspected. Of the 40 bikes we managed to inspect to determine if they would meet the updated compliance, only 1 passed. However, all 40 are safe, legal e-bikes that are compliant under the current EN15194 regulations. 

Along with other riding advocacy groups, BQ has major concerns about other new laws, including the maximum 10km/h speed for safe, legal e-bikes on shared paths and trails, and the need for a car licence and the under-16 ban. 

how to defend safe, legal e-bikes

We heard from riders who express concern that their use of a safe, legal e-bike to get around, meet friends and stay active might see them breaking the law – thanks to legislation that has been rushed through, without proper consultation to understand the negative impacts to riders of safe, legal e-bikes that meet the global compliance standards. 

BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.
BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.
BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.

‘This bike has just been so fantastic to open up my experience of Brisbane,’ one rider told us, who uses her e-bike for commuting, but also to visit other parts of Brisbane for nights out with her partner or friends. ‘And I’m being classed in the same sort of category as the illegal motorbikes, which is very unfair.’ 

‘We are getting people out of cars, we are getting them onto public transport, we are getting them onto bikes – we should keep that up,’ Joe Kelly MP told us while visiting the event. ‘If 95% of people are telling you you’re getting something wrong, you should probably listen to them.’ 

BQ had other politicians come along to show support, including Mark Bailey and Bart Mellish.  

‘This exercise was useful in demonstrating to the public the scale of the problem of this bill, in currently having no pathway to compliance for bikes without a permanent EN15194 marking,’ said BQ’s CEO Dr Matthew Burke. ‘So many of the existing safe, legal e-bikes are going to be made non-compliant.’ 
 

While thousands of people have made submissions as a response to the draft legislation, you can still make an impact. Write to your local member to express your point of view, and if you’d like to support Bicycle Queensland you can do so via a donation, or better yet – by becoming a BQ Member. 

BQ’s E-bike rally at Brisbane Botanic Gardens 21-04-2026 to save safe legal e-bikes. Photo by Element Photo and Video Productions.
Categories
Advocacy

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. 

event details
draft bill
bq’s submission

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.”

E-bikes and e-mobility are getting people moving.

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 1st 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.

Categories
Advocacy

BQ’s submission on e-mobility bill

Bicycle Queensland has delivered our submission to the Transport and Other Legislation (Managing E-mobility Use and Protecting Our Communities) Amendment Bill 2026 to the State Development, Infrastructure and Works Committee.

read the draft bill


While BQ is supportive of many elements of the Bill, we have outlined the main parts of the Bill that BQ does not support, as we seek to defend safe, legal e-bike use. Licensing, 10km/h limits on shared paths, age restrictions and a lack of clear e-bike definitions will harm the uptake of safe, legal e-biking and reduce participation in active transport and recreation. This will have a direct impact on road congestion and road trauma involving bike riders.

This Bill will make Queensland the hardest place in the world to ride a safe, legal e-bike.

And it still won’t fix the problem.

You can read our final submission:

bicycle queensland’s formal submission


If you stand with Bicycle Queensland and don’t want to see impacts to safe, legal e-bike use – please act now. Every voice counts! We encourage you to use the key points of our submission, or the complete submission.

Urgent changes BQ is requesting

1. A clear and workable e-bike definition – that covers the 200,000+ safe, legal e-bikes Queenslanders own now.

2. Dropping all licensing, speed limits and age bans for legal e-bikes – they are an unreasonable imposition, supported by absolutely no evidence, and are unnecessary if we get rid of the illegal devices.

3. Investment in the active transport infrastructure Queensland needs – as not one additional dollar has been committed to this, despite the Parliamentary Inquiry’s recommendation.

You can take the actions below:

  1. Write to your local State MP, to explain the positive impacts of e-mobility and how the above recommendations would limit your use of active transport and recreation. Look up your local member here online. 
  2. Write to the Minister for Transport at email: transportandmainroads@ministerial.qld.gov.au. 
  3. Join Bicycle Queensland. Help us fight for you for just $49 via a BQ Supporter membership. Or get insurance too with our full, concession or household membership packages.  
Join bicycle queensland
Categories
Advocacy

BQ’s concerns over calls for e-bike licences

Bicycle Queensland has welcomed the tabling of the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry report into e-mobility safety and use, as around 90% of the recommendations are just what we have been asking for. 

CEO Dr Matthew Burke said the report contains important steps toward clarifying what is an e-bike and what is an e-motorbike, strengthening enforcement against illegal high-powered devices, and embedding e-mobility into transport planning. 

“This report recognises that compliant e-bikes and e-mobility devices are a legitimate and valuable part of Queensland’s transport system,” Dr Burke said. 

With clear definitions, stronger retail standards, anti-tampering laws and proper enforcement against illegal e-motorbikes we should be able to greatly reduce the numbers of dangerous high-speed vehicles from our bikepaths. 

“These devices are not e-bikes. They are unregistered electric motorbikes and should be treated as such,” Dr Burke said. 

However, BQ has serious concerns regarding three recommendations: 

Licensing Requirement 

Bicycle Queensland strongly opposes the recommendation requiring riders to hold an Australian Driver’s Licence, or car learner’s permit (a Queensland Class C learner licence). 

Dr Burke said “Any reforms must protect the right of Queenslanders to ride compliant bicycles and e-bikes without unnecessary barriers – this is not the time to make safe cycling harder or less appealing.” 

Such a requirement would have sweeping and unintended consequences across Queensland’s transport, tourism and delivery sectors.  

A licensing requirement would undermine public e-mobility schemes, including Neuron and Lime e-scooter and e-bike operations. Young people, students and international visitors use these services. We don’t want schemes like Lime’s Gold Coast e-bikes to be shut down.  

Many seniors and people with a disability who don’t hold a licence enjoy riding bikes on the safe off-road path network. Many don’t have licences and some could never sit and pass a licence test. Their right-to-ride would be lost under this proposal.  

The food delivery companies such as UberEats, DoorDash and Domino’s provide work for e-bike and e-scooter riders, many of whom are international students securing their first Australian job on arrival. That whole industry may be jeopardised by this proposal, as it creates a significant barrier to this employment.  

Queensland has whole suburbs where around 30% of households do not have anyone with a licence. That’s exactly where safe, legal e-bikes are really helpful to people. Again, this proposal will take that away.  

Bicycle Queensland is already working with a coalition of industry groups and other stakeholder to defeat this proposal. 

Age Threshold 

While Bicycle Queensland supports introducing an age threshold for e-mobility devices, a minimum age of 16 is likely too restrictive. 

The proposed threshold would dramatically impact families who use legal, compliant e-bikes for recreation and transport. Young riders involved in recreational e-mountain biking have not been associated with the urban safety concerns driving the inquiry – but the outcomes would directly and adversely impact them. 

We would prefer to switch the many thousands of high schoolers travelling on over-powered, high-speed e-motorbikes across to safe, legal e-bikes. Queensland would be much better off if those kids weren’t driven to school again. 

NSW just last month announced an expert panel to choose a minimum age somewhere between 12 and 16 years old.  

“We believe a more appropriate threshold would sit between 12 and 14 years of age,” Dr Burke said. 

10km/h speed limits on footpaths 

Bicycle Queensland supports regulation for safety on footpaths. But a 10km/h speed limit for e-bikes on footpaths has unresolvable problems.  

For decades we’ve allowed cyclists – including legal e-bikes – to ride on footpaths without such restrictions, without much problem. When other proposed measures remove high-speed illegal e-motorbikes from the path network we should not need a 10km/h speed limit. 

Most importantly, the loss of centrifugal forces at low speed makes it hard to ride any bike at 10km/h, increasing wobble, reducing rider control, and adding risk to others path users. 

Bike routes are also not like the street networks that car drivers know. Most of Queensland’s designated bike routes have sections that include footpaths. Where a shared path ends and a footpath begins is often unclear. There is usually no signage to indicate the change. Installing signage to make clear the change would be an unaffordable burden on councils, for little benefit.  

Right to Ride 

“We must not allow poorly targeted reforms to punish the majority of responsible riders,” Dr Burke said. 

“This report gets much of the framework right. Now we need to ensure the final legislative response preserves accessibility, fairness and common sense.” 

“We will work through the rest of the recommendations and provide a fuller response in the coming weeks.” 

Read the complete report

Bicycle Queensland’s submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry

Queensland’s e-bike rules

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Uncategorised

E-bike licensing risks derailing active transport

Bicycle Queensland has reviewed the leaked recommendations from the Queensland Parliamentary Inquiry into e-mobility safety and use. BQ believes that the proposals to require a licence to ride an e-bike are poorly thought through and risk undermining cycling and micromobility across the state and potentially all of Australia. 

The leaked recommendations include banning children under 16 from using e-bikes and requiring riders aged 16 and over to hold at least a learner driver’s licence. 

Bicycle Queensland Director of Advocacy Andrew Demack said the proposal was a blunt policy response that fails to address the real causes of unsafe devices. 

BQ’s transport alliance requests 

Bicycle Queensland joined RACQ and Queensland Walks in calling for a targeted reform package to improve safety while protecting the benefits of cycling and micromobility. Key recommendations included: 

  • Stronger enforcement and penalties for illegal high-powered devices and dangerous behaviour 
  • Crackdowns on unsafe retailers who continued to import or sell equipment that didn’t meet the EN 15194 standard 
  • Improved data and education, including statewide reporting and public dashboards supported by education campaigns 
  • Investment in safer infrastructure, including separated cycling and micromobility lanes and higher-quality footpaths 
  • Revamped hire schemes to improve safety and reduce footpath clutter 

“If we improved these five things we’d be in a much better situation than we are now,” said BQ’s CEO Matthew Burke.  

Licensing proposal is inequitable, costly and counterproductive 

BQ believes requiring a driver’s licence to ride a legal pedal-assist e-bike would create significant barriers for people who rely on cycling for everyday transport. 

As it puts a motor vehicle framework and cost burden onto people who have deliberately chosen not to own a car, it disadvantages young people, international students, visitors, and people who can’t obtain a licence due to disability or medical conditions. And it disadvantages those who have consciously opted to avoid ownership of a car. 

The proposal would add significant administrative and enforcement workload for police while doing nothing to regulate unsafe devices at their source – which is import and sales. It just shifts responsibility onto the user. 

The influx of illegal high-powered and throttle-controlled devices followed the former Morrison Government’s 2021 decision to remove mandatory compliance with the EN15194 e-bike safety standard. 

That decision opened the floodgates to non-compliant devices entering Australia, and BQ has welcomed the recent reinstatement of EN15194 nationally. But that does need to be enforced at a national level. 

With Brisbane 2032 on a closing horizon, the licensing proposal could significantly undermine active transport planning for major events and long-term congestion and emissions goals. 

The volume of visitors to Brisbane and other host cities will rely on active transport and public transport as solutions to moving people. A requirement for licences will have a severe impact on the benefit that active transport has delivered for recent Games. Discouraging active transport is the opposite of what cities are doing around the world to fight congestion. 
 
The licencing response, without any commitment to creating a safer user environment, is motonormativity in action. 

BQ is urging the Queensland Government to reject any licensing requirement for legal pedal-assist e-bikes and focus on product regulation, retailer accountability and infrastructure investment. 

Read BQ’s submission to the inquiry.