63 bikes and e-scooters have been seized and 267 fines were issued. But information about compliance labels and licence exemptions have not yet been released
More than 60 bikes and scooters have been seized by police in the first week since Queensland began its e-mobility crackdown.
But the system that allows people to prove their trip is legal won’t be ready for months.
The first phase of the laws began on July 1 and requires legal e-bike and e-scooter riders to slow down to 12km/h when passing a pedestrian on a shared path or riding on a footpath. They also created easier seizure powers for illegal bikes.
Queensland currently has fines for not wearing a bicycle helmet ranging from $518, fines for drink driving range from $518 to $6908 and speeding fines range from $345 to $1986.
Police have been highly visible at enforcement, patrolling the inner-city Bicentenary Cycle Path and the Gold Coast in the first week of Operation Yankee Surety, which runs until mid-2027.
In its first week, until midnight on July 7, police seized 63 e-mobility devices, including personal mobility devices and electric-powered bicycles, and fined 267 people.
PMDs may be described as e-scooters, e-skateboards or hoverboards, but the QPS did not provide a breakdown of the type of PMDs and bikes seized or the fines.
Police may seize a bicycle if they reasonably suspect that it is a prohibited bicycle and is being used in a public place. They can destroy it after 30 days if the owner can’t prove it’s legal or not for public use.
Footage released by the QPS on Monday showed officers seizing Fatfish and Surron bikes on the Gold Coast.
A police officer said to 14-year-old Robina, a 14-year-old boy who had been fined for riding a bicycle that did not comply with the rules: “Bikes are taken… 100 percent, new legislation, man, we have zero tolerance for this now.”
The bikes in the police video do not appear to be capable of meeting the requirements under EN 15194, the standard that sets out various rules for legal e-bikes, such as assistance when pedaling up to 25 km/h and a maximum continuous motor output of 250 watts.
While police have seizure powers, the government says people have until February 28, 2027 to ensure their e-bike has a compliance label verifying that it meets this standard, or that the speed of their e-scooter is limited to 25km/h, and if the device is legal before July 1, they can continue to ride it.
An assurance scheme will also certify e-bikes that cannot be marked under EN15194 but generally meet the rules, such as e-trikes.
The government has not announced how this will work and TMR plans to publish details of the assurance scheme before 1 October, including eligibility, key dates, suitable venues and alternative options.
As of August 31, drivers must be 16 years old and have a driver’s license to operate an e-bike or e-scooter.
There will be exemptions, including for people who cannot hold a driver’s license for medical reasons, for children aged 12 to 17 who ride under the supervision of a parent, guardian or other responsible adult, and for rail trails and mountain bike trails.
It was not explained how to apply for this exemption.
Cycling Queensland estimates around 100,000 people will require stickers for legal e-bikes.
Professor Matt Burke, chief executive of the advocacy group, was consulted on the laws and said a healthcare professional such as a GP, nurse or physiotherapist would likely have to sign for a license exemption.
“It’s great that the exemption is available, but it will take a lot of work and there will be many barriers to disabled people cycling,” he said.
From July 1, retailers are banned from selling e-bikes and e-scooters to people under 16 and must display a sign to that effect.
However, TMR has not yet created an official poster and bike shops have been told they can and should make their own posters.
“As part of these obligations, retailers are required to display signage informing customers of the new rules, although retailers can display the information in a way that best suits their business needs and ensures compliance,” a TMR spokesperson said.
Opposition transport spokesman Bart Mellish said the government had 18 months to fix the laws and they had completely botched it.
“We are hearing from retailers and e-bike users that the implementation of these poorly drafted laws is progressing terribly,” he said.
Online shops continue to sell bikes to Queenslanders with the claim that they are EN15194 compliant and road legal because they ship locked to 25km/h and 250 watts, but they also have a 750 watt “private ownership version” or can be unlocked for private off-road use.
During Operation X-Ray Bail, which ran under the old laws from November to January, police issued more than 2,700 fines, including 2,100 for not wearing a helmet, 200 for driving on prohibited roads and 80 for speeding, and 142 non-compliant devices were removed from Queensland roads.
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