Electric push bikes with bigger motors will be allowed on NSW roads under new laws expected before the end of the year.
Changes were made to federal design laws which expanded the Australian e-bike standard in May, bringing it into line with Europe. However road rules and regulations in each state and territory need to be overhauled before the new e-bikes can be ridden on public roads.
The NSW Centre for Road Safety released key research in 2009 which informed the Federal changes but Victoria is the first, and only, state or territory to have made the necessary revisions.
”Key stakeholders, including the bicycle industry and law enforcement agencies, have been lobbying strongly since then for the relevant state and federal amendments,” said Peter Bourke, the general manager of Bicycle Industries Australia.
On September 7 this year, BIA received a letter from Les Wielinga, the director-general of Transport for NSW, which states ”Transport for NSW has prepared a submission for the NSW Parliamentary Council to make the necessary amendments to the regulations affected by the definition change.
”While I cannot confirm the date the revised legislation will be enacted in NSW, you can be assured it is receiving the level of attention deserved.”
BIA was told yesterday the next step is under way: changes to the relevant registration, licensing and road rules and regulations are being prepared by the Parliamentary Counsel Office.
In September, when Victoria’s transport amendments were announced, David Cramer, the chairman of BIA, said ”the additional range will open our market to an enormous range of new and innovative e-bikes currently produced for the European market and provide more choice for people looking for ways of building physical activity into their daily lives.
”The expected increase in people riding will provide many community benefits, through individual health gains … cost savings from reduced transport costs and congestion, increased trip time reliability and less impact on the environment,” Mr Cramer said.
