Council to fast-track e-bike safety measures
Road rules must be reviewed to improve public safety, Northern Beaches Council will tell the State Government following an audit into electric-bikes and electric-scooters.
Council is calling on the State Government to develop a community awareness and safety campaign to improve pedestrian and rider safety. It has also asked the State Government and Transport for New South Wales to review the current road rules to ‘make any necessary changes to improve public safety’.
The motion, passed unanimously on 26 September, comes after a recent police audit of e-bikes and e-scooters reported many safety issues, including speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour – when 25 is the legal limit.
Councillor Sarah Grattan, who seconded the motion, said that council needed to ‘develop educational resources and awareness campaigns in the short term’ until the Government made changes.
“We clearly don’t have the money to do this at the moment, but if we get the plans in place, we will be ready if and when some money becomes available,” Ms Grattan said.
As part of the safety audit, Police stopped 256 riders displaying unsafe behaviours and Council’s Road Safety Team spoke with 524 cyclists about safety. The audit also highlighted the need for separate pathways for cyclists and pedestrians, advisory signage and education.
Council has received over 40 complaints about the use of e-bikes, e-scooters and other micro mobility devices. It trialled 10 kilometres per hour speed signage and speed markings which proved ineffective as they found that most cyclists either didn’t notice the markings or ignored them.
The audit found that many e-bikes also carry pillion passengers without helmets at high speeds.
E-scooters are illegal in New South Wales (NSW), but almost 50 per cent of people believe they are legal, and 72 per cent think e-bikes are okay to ride where the motor does all the work and no pedalling is involved.
Council will now submit a late motion to the NSW Local Government Annual Conference, which will take place in November, and write to Roads Minister John Graham on the issue.