![\"Felicity](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/c977926ffac54b7011c6ed2ca51c448f2f506f88.png\")
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March 11, 2026 \u2014 1:45pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n A call to force all riders of pedal-assisted e-bikes to have a learner\u2019s licence is a misstep that will deter Queenslanders from cycling and keep more people in cars, the deputy chair of the state\u2019s e-mobility inquiry says.<\/p>\n Labor MP Jonty Bush, the deputy chair of Queensland\u2019s e-mobility inquiry, said pedal-assisted e-bikes should not have been lumped in the same category as high-powered electric motorbikes when the committee made its recommendations to curb crashes and severe injuries among e-bike users.<\/p>\n The inquiry recommended e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards should be banned for all under-16s and all riders must hold at least a car learner\u2019s licence.<\/a><\/p>\n Bush said no other jurisdiction, other than North Korea<\/a>, had a licensing framework for cyclists, and pedal-assisted e-bikes were used safely by thousands of Queenslanders.<\/p>\n The committee heard no evidence that legal e-bikes were a problem, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest issue I have is that the report doesn\u2019t really clearly differentiate between two really different classes of bikes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cBy grouping pedal-assist e-bikes in with much more powerful devices, the report risks reinforcing the idea that all e-bikes are the same and that all e-bikes are dangerous, despite the committee hearing no evidence whatsoever that pedal-assist e-bikes pose any kind of safety risk.\u201d<\/p>\n While Bush supported improving safety and believed most of the recommendations \u201cmove us in the right direction\u201d, the MP was worried about the future accessibility of pedal-assisted e-bikes.<\/p>\n \u201cThey help us get out of cars,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey help to reduce congestion, they help us stay active, and they make active transport a much more viable option for so many more Queenslanders.\u201d<\/p>\n Bush said the recommendations would affect people who did not have a car licence \u2013 such as older people<\/a> or those with a disability \u2013 who used an e-bike to travel.<\/p>\n The inquiry\u2019s report said 6300 people presented to emergency departments with injuries and 12 people died from e-mobility last year in Queensland, but this was not broken down by e-scooters, legal e-bikes, or electric motorbikes ridden illegally in public.<\/p>\n WorkCover reported a significant increase in claim costs, primarily driven by e-scooter injuries.<\/p>\n Related Article Under the recommendations, electric dirt bikes, some capable of speeds up to 75km\/h, would be subject to motorbike licences, vehicle identification numbers and registration. Bikes that were not compliant with the European EN15194 standard would need to be permanently marked for private property use only.<\/p>\n Legal e-bikes have a motor that makes pedalling easier, but this assistance stops at speeds over 25km\/h \u2013 a speed that riders of lighter unpowered bicycles often exceed.<\/p>\n The report also recommended that speed limits be reduced to the slow-jogging speed of 10km\/h on all footpaths in Queensland, but not for regular bicycles. Councils would be supported to set even slower speed limits in areas with high foot traffic.<\/p>\n In a LinkedIn post, senior Transport and Main Roads advisor Michael Langdon said the recommendation would automatically apply to all footpaths, including shared paths<\/a>.<\/p>\n Related Article All footpaths in Queensland can legally be used by cyclists and e-scooter riders, unless specifically sign-posted as pedestrian-only.<\/p>\n Queensland Transport and Main Roads\u2019 guideline for speed on shared footpaths states that cyclists can travel at speeds between 15-25km\/h on well-designed footpaths as \u201ca bicycle can become unstable at speeds below 11km\/h\u201d.<\/p>\n Responding to a Facebook comment, Bush described the proposed 10km\/h limit as \u201canother big issue\u201d.<\/p>\n The state government has three months to respond to the inquiry\u2019s recommendations.<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f02fc0d470ec341a1779f6ee1b2dd493220b3cb44705c6ea9a16efb0043e4111.jpeg\")
A lot of the images and videos of young people riding \u2018e-bikes\u2019 are actually electric motorbikes, which are already illegal to ride on public roads and paths.Transport and Main Roads<\/p>\n![\"Under](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/81d2f00daf9d528111bb21b7cfbfa97336b3bb5cfba44228b44607ecec37b5e1.jpeg\")
Under the proposed new rules, some of these bikes seen at the Davies Park markets in West End would be subject to strict licensing, age and 10km\/h speed limits, and others would not.Felicity Caldwell<\/p>\n![\"Brisbane](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/767bc4e64d0958a6fd77335501b07ff0f789f0f773b394f17e43ed5315c61949.jpeg\")
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