The LNP government will introduce a new 12km/h speed limit for e-bike riders and tweak exemption rules
The new e-bike rules were changed by the Queensland government but still drew the ire of community members.
Under the previous version of the proposed laws, drivers would now be required to slow down to 12 km/h when passing a pedestrian on a shared path, rather than 10 km/h on all roads.
Instead of an outright ban, children aged 12 to 17 will be allowed to ride an e-bike limited to 250 watts and have assistance pedaling up to 25km/h – but they must be supervised by an adult, so they won’t be able to ride to school independently on a legal e-bike.
On Tuesday – the day before World Bicycle Day – Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg unveiled the LNP government’s revised version of the e-mobility bill, which is scheduled to be debated and passed this week.
“The legislation will be adjusted and amended this week to ensure we strike the right balance,” he said.
“We can facilitate use in some high-risk environments, for example under parental supervision, but also ensure that those who do wrong are held accountable for their actions.
“Young hooligans and hooligans taking part in rides here in the Brisbane CBD or on the Gold Coast will be held to account by the police, who from July 1 may have the power to seize and then destroy any illegal e-bikes or bikes that individuals have done wrong with.”
But Cycling Queensland CEO Professor Matt Burke said if speed limits were poorly drafted it would cause “absolute damage to the cycling network”.
The new laws follow a 10-month parliamentary inquiry triggered by public concerns about the dangerous use of e-scooters and high-powered electric motorcycles, which are already illegal for use in public.
The inquiry’s recommendations were turned into a bill by the government, which was sent back to the same committee that conducted the inquiry. After a new session, the committee proposed a partial watering down of the laws.
Approximately 5000 applications were received, mostly in opposition to the bill.
According to the changes, starting from July 1, a speed limit of 12 km/h will be introduced when passing pedestrians on footpaths and shared paths. The speed limit on shared roads will be 25 km/h when pedestrians are not crossing.
“There will be a 25 km/h speed limit on things like the cycle path along the river here,” Mickelberg said at a media conference at the state legislature near the Bicentennial Cycle Path.
Although the speed limit on the Goodwill and Kurilpa bridges is 20 km/h, there is currently no speed limit for any users on this bike path, including non-electric cyclists.
Legal e-bikes in Queensland are currently limited to support speeds of up to 25km/h, but they can legally travel faster than this, for example when going downhill.
In order to reduce pedestrian congestion, e-scooter drivers will be allowed to operate on roads with a speed limit of up to 60 km/h. This will allow e-scooters to be used on major roads such as Coronation Drive, Waterworks Road and Story Bridge’s traffic lanes.
From February 2027, e-bikes will need to comply with and demonstrate compliance with the European standard EN15194, but the “+A1:2023” specification, which bans almost all e-bikes currently in use except those sold recently, has been cancelled.
E-scooters will need to be limited to 25 km/h by February 2027.
An assurance plan will be developed to help e-bike owners confirm compliance and an alternative compliance path will be available for e-bikes that may not meet the European standard.
From August 31, drivers must be at least 16 years old and have at least a learner’s license to operate an e-bike, e-scooter or other mobility device such as an e-skateboard or hoverboard.
However, the government will introduce an exemption for children aged 12 to 17 so that they can cycle under the supervision of their parents. Other exemptions will cover certain medical conditions and disabilities, rail trails and mountain bike trails.
Police will be allowed to seize and destroy illegal devices and RBTs for bicycle, e-bike and e-mobility riders will begin on July 1.
Burke welcomed the changes to EN15194 compliance, which will affect hundreds of thousands of legal e-bikes, but said the drafting of speed limits could cause problems.
“We must remember that e-bike riders travel statistically slower than pushbike riders on shared road networks,” he said.
“This is completely over-the-top, completely unnecessary, we have a responsibility to drive in a way that could endanger a pedestrian.”
Families who purchase compatible e-bikes for their children to ride to school will potentially have to drive instead, Burke said.
“If we can ensure that children using illegal devices are converted to safe, low-speed, legal e-bikes we will have a good outcome for everyone, but this has been prevented by introducing high age limits and driver licences,” he said.
Burke said the community is concerned about e-motorcycles.
“It’s like the government only had one job to do and they made a fool of it,” he said.
Mickelberg said the state government is encouraging the federal government to implement a product standard that would make it easier to hold retailers accountable for illegal device sales.
There will be 12 deaths due to e-mobility devices in 2025; eight of these were on e-scooters, while three were due to non-compliant e-motorcycles. There was a legal e-bike-related death when a 79-year-old woman was hit by a Ford Falcon driver on Bribie Island.
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