More than 250 people joined a mass bike ride across the Story Bridge on April 1 to protest impending state government restrictions on legal e-bike riders.
The proposed law would introduce a speed limit of 10kmh, require riders to be licensed, and prohibits people under age 16 from riding e-bikes.
Kathryn Good from the Story Bridge Active Transport Alliance told Green Left that there is an issue with people riding high-powered, illegal “e-bikes” stemming from a 2021 federal Coalition government decision to ease restrictions on importing them.
Good said that some bikes imported since that decision are essentially “electric dirt bikes”, suitable for use on large private properties. Many of them “don't meet Australian design standards for motorbikes,” she said, however they’re being ridden on suburban bike paths in dangerous ways at sometimes 60-70kph.
Good says the proposed law is an “extreme” over-reaction to this problem.
She said that the proposed law is “unprecedented” and cited North Korea as one of the few countries in the world that had a comparable law.
Some people may think that 10kph is a reasonable speed limit, however, Good said that “it is slower than jogging pace; people jogging will overtake you”. 10kmh is “slower than a kid riding a balance bike,” she said, “and almost impossible to stay upright” if you're carrying any weight (such as a parent riding with a child in a bike trailer).
The restrictions would apply to all footpaths and shared paths, or around 90% of the entire off-road cycling network in Brisbane (including the popular Brisbane Valley Rail Trail).
Good was pleased with the “awesome” turnout at the April 1 action, one of the largest bike riding actions in a long time.
She called on all supporters to make submissions to the parliamentary enquiry into these proposed laws. The deadline for submissions is 10am on April 10.
