Update: 13 February 2025.
NSW Parliamentary Enquiry Report Tabled
The NSW Parliamentary Enquiry has released the report of Portfolio Committee No. 6 – Transport and the Arts, entitled ‘Use of e-scooters, e-bikes and related mobility options’.
The report was tabled in the Legislative Council on 13 February 2025 and is available on the Parliament of NSW website along with submissions, transcripts of evidence and other inquiry documents.
The report includes 34 recommendations to the NSW Government based on the following findings:
- Finding 1 – The proliferation of ‘fat bikes’ and associated rider behaviour is raising serious safety concerns for pedestrians in several New South Wales local government areas. The committee notes the current ambiguity surrounding these bikes, including a lack of a clear definition and uncertainty regarding their permissibility, which hinders effective regulation and enforcement.
- Finding 2 – That implementing a bureaucratic registration system could create barriers to adoption and limit accessibility of e-mobility devices, especially for low-income users.
- Finding 3 – Shared e-bike operators claim to have the technology and adequate staffing to manage parking and pathway obstruction issues. However, the committee finds that these problems persist and are increasingly impacting public amenity and safety, demonstrating a disconnect between operator claims and the reality on the ground.
“The issues we are seeing with e-mobility devices are not so much about the devices themselves – they are signs that the rules and the way we enforce them are outdated or ineffective,” Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann, the inquiry chair, wrote in the report.
The report and its recommendations are now with the government for consideration. The government is required to respond to the recommendations within three months.
Update: 19 August 2024.
An inquiry was established by NSW Parliament on 6 June 2024 to inquire into and report on the use of e-scooters, e-bikes and related mobility options. Submissions closed on 18 August 2024.
Read the Paddington Society’s e-bike submission. The Society’s submission focused on the use and regulation of e-bikes and e-scooters – including shared schemes – in light of their increased use in the Paddington area.
The use of e-bikes and e-scooters helps relieve traffic congestion and enhance mobility. With considerate use, they work well in our community. However, their use and convenience should be balanced with the need for pedestrians to walk safely, especially in shared areas.
Here are some suggestions to improve the current situation:
- Establish a regulatory framework with standardised rules for share e-bike and e-scooter operators.
- Empower local councils to penalise share e-bike operators for breach of such rules.
- Allow councils to limit the number of share e-bikes and e-scooters in their LGA.
- Establish designated pick-up and drop off zones for share e-bikes and e-scooters.
- Set speed limits for e-bikes and e-scooters.
- Consider restricting the use of e-bikes, e-scooters, and other related mobility options in areas with high pedestrian traffic.
