The Queensland Parliament e-mobility inquiry has really produced some ridiculous recommendations from the LNP majority members. If implemented they will be a big barrier to active transport in Queensland.
Charlie is two and he can already ride his balance bike faster than you’ll be allowed to ride your legal e-bike or e-scooter on a path, under proposed laws recommended by Queensland’s e-mobility inquiry.
The inquiry’s committee recommended e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards be banned for under-16s and all riders hold at least a learner’s licence.
Footpaths and shared paths would have a 10km/h speed limit for pedal-assist e-bikes and e-scooters – but not for bicycles – and councils empowered to set even slower speeds.
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The deputy chair of the e-mobility inquiry last week said there was no evidence legal e-bikes were a safety risk.
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A 10km/h speed limit and licensing may deter legal riders, and will ban older people and people with a disability who do not hold a licence, rather than change the behaviour of people already doing the wrong thing.
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A child on a pedal bike can ride faster than 10km/h on a shared path, but if their parent followed at the same speed on an electric cargo bike, that’d be illegal.
A Transport and Main Roads guideline on shared paths says a bicycle can become unstable at speeds below 11km/h and on well-designed paths people riding bikes can travel 15-25km/h with minimum risk or negative impacts for walkers.
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Perhaps the government could put some more thought into recommendation four: “That the Queensland government embed e-mobility into strategic transport infrastructure planning and work with local governments to achieve greater investment and delivery of high quality, connected and separated pathway networks.”
What concerns me with these proposed changes if go ahead is those with medical conditions who normally unfit to drive wont get Learners license so needs a better alternate to cater better and would need longer renewal period than driving counterparts
I agree, that’s a major concern that will catch people in the cracks.
Not too keen on the blanket 10km/h speed limit either. While I agree with a lower speed in built up areas like the CBD with lots of people on foot, it you’re on lightly used suburban footpaths, I don’t have as issue with riding faster than 10km/h.
Yeah for footpaths needs better definations with a tier system
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for standalone footpaths that had to be shared:
10kmph for high pedestrain traffic areas
15kmph for lower traffic areas.
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For shared pathways that are bikeways etc must be 15kmph unless signposted/marked with Slow down…. Have marked on roads should indicates is a 10kmph zone
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For designated bikeways…25kmph but do slow down when overtaking!!
Toddlers on balance bikes will be able to ride faster than an adult on a legal e-bike.
This is an absurdly lazy and poor legislative response that makes no attempt to target the problem of already illegal e-motorbikes being ridden by unlicensed young people, and if there some are other devices that should also be made illegal.
Qld back to being the cop state with punitive approaches to anything that annoys online boomers. They could have just adopted the Swiss model of new category requirements, but I think Mickelburg and Bleijie just like pissing off cyclists as a hobby because we are hearing anything active transport is being cut out of TMR and QR. The Australian right wing nanny state / both sides are bad / bad faith repliers are pretty quiet lately.
Of coruse the issues go beyond accessibility but I appreciate that was the focus of the article.
Better Transport Queensland president Rowan Gray said this was an “extremely retrograde step” for cyclists with disabilities.
Mr Gray said pedal-assisted bikes allowed people with disabilities to access places that were otherwise inaccessible to them.
“Someone who’s medically unfit to drive could be medically unfit to drive for a variety of reasons, which may not necessarily impact their ability to safely use an e-device,” Mr Gray said.
“People with medical conditions may not be able to always pedal a bike comfortably, so e-scooters and e-bikes are a really great device for people who may not be able to do the physical cardio to ride a bike elsewhere.”
Brisbane Times also reporting a tourism impact angle from the licensing requirements.
And the Courier Mail’s angle (I don’t read it any further).
Licensing for compliant eBikes is bad policy and a knee jerk reaction to a small percentage that were doing the wrong thing.
I do believe in age restri5ction, yet 16 is a bit high. I also believe in fining the parents too as it does come down to parenting at the end when it comes to minors.
Push to get cyclists, scooters off footpaths – and onto busy roads – behind new laws
E-bike cyclists and e-scooter riders are being pushed to use high-speed roads with traffic, instead of footpaths and shared paths, under Queensland government laws that will be passed this year.
That is the motivation for the 10km/h limit – a jogging speed slower than a toddler on a balance bike – on footpaths and shared paths, as revealed in the explanatory notes for the laws cracking down on e-mobility devices.
This is the problem as there aren’t any high speed segregated bikeways in built up areas.
The only higher speed alternatives are along the freeway or river where it has many shared zones e.g. from the casino to Howard Smith Wharves and beyond.
There’re sections of Brunswick Street which are really congested as well as along Wickham Street from Brookes Street. Thats why cyclists need to go on the footpath.
Also it has been TMRs GCC and BCC policy to build shared paths rather than segregated cycle paths because they didn’t want to spend the extra money.
If we had cycle only paths everywhere it wouldn’t be a problem, but unfortunately we don’t.
Bridge Road is another example where cyclists are forced onto the footpath for safety reasons as well as along Gregory Terrace from the Old Museum through the Ekka precinct.
Need to highlight 10kmph, 15kmph, or 25mph zones……. 4 tiers…. Slow, med, fast, unlimited
Pros do ride way faster than 25kmph without motor just sayin’
Hope Blues gets to their senses.
Lixence to ride would be death of my life, !@#$& you if that happen as biking is my love and passion & only way i get around places withoutbuse of expensive cash robbery 2cabs and i have several minor disabilities that disallows me from drivimg a car but still use a bike espectially on Intellectual impairment side.
I somehow don’t think the decision makers at TMR (and our state government) use active transport much. I also suspect they don’t use public transport much either.
Even if your local MP is not LNP, it’s important to reach out to them. Labor don’t seem to have made a formal stance on the bill and it’s critical they oppose the problematic parts now (so if they get into power in 2028 they can repeal them).
Does anyone know what the fate of the North Brisbane bikeway will be, when Victoria Park closes on May 31st, 2026? It runs parallel along Gilcrest Avenue - the site of the Olympics stadium - providing a safe passage between the City and Eagle Junction.
If that link goes missing from mid-2026 to 2032, then I’m afraid that’ll be a sorry state of affairs for all northside cyclists, or just anyone wishing to access the northern suburbs (ie. Kedron Brook bikeway, Jim Soorely bikeway, Gateway North bikeway, etc).
The only other direct route - being Bowen Bridge Road - will discourage cyclists from commuting into the City, as its an unsafe and treacherous arterial road.
There was a recent article where they would generally keep it open but would sometimes close with diversions. We all know how thoughtfully “diversions” are planned here though…
