The review will include an investigation into whether teens have the ability to safely double their friends and how young is too young to be in the saddle of an electric bike. Photo: Kirk Gilmour.
Children will soon be banned from riding e-bikes in NSW, as the State Government cracks down on safety concerns and illegal high-powered models flooding public streets.
Under sweeping reforms, NSW will introduce a minimum riding age and adopt strict European safety standards, targeting bikes that behave more like motorbikes than bicycles.
An expert review led by Transport for NSW (TfNSW) will recommend a legal minimum age between 12 and 16 for riding an e-bike. The review will also consider whether children and teenagers have the skills, maturity and awareness required to safely carry passengers.
With an estimated 760,000 e-bikes already in circulation, the rapid rise of the technology has sparked both a transport revolution and growing safety fears.
Under current NSW road rules, a child of any age can ride an e-bike and bicycle riders of any age can carry passengers if the bike’s design allows it.
But unlike traditional bicycles, e-bikes are heavier and faster, increasing the force involved in a crash, heightening the risk of serious injury and making them more difficult to control and manoeuvre, particularly for younger riders.
As part of the process, the government will consult experts in child development and road safety, including the NSW Office for Youth and Young People and seek feedback directly from parents and young people.
Advice will be provided to the Transport Minister and Roads Minister by June, with a final decision on the age threshold and passenger rules to follow.
Transport Minister John Graham said the reforms were about striking a balance between encouraging active transport and addressing mounting safety concerns.
“We want children outdoors and active but keeping them safe is paramount,” he said. “I am concerned that we have primary school-aged children trying to control e-bikes that in some cases are heavier than them.”
He said community concern about teenagers riding together on high-powered “fat bikes” had also prompted closer scrutiny.
“I acknowledge the concern in the community about groups of teens piling onto fat bikes – often three to a bike – and sometimes breaking simple road rules. This review has been tasked with investigating whether teens have the ability to safely double their friends and how young is too young to be in the saddle of an electric bike.”
The new rules will come into effect after a three-year grace period, acknowledging the hundreds of thousands of higher-powered e-bikes purchased legally under the previous rules. Photo: IBUG.
The proposed age limits build on reforms already announced by the government, including new powers for NSW Police to seize and crush illegal e-bikes and a trial of portable “dyno units” to measure e-bike speeds during roadside compliance checks.
The government has also reversed the former Coalition’s 2023 decision to allow 500 watt e-bikes on NSW roads and introduced tighter standards for lithium-ion batteries to reduce fire risks linked to e-bikes and e-scooters.
From March, NSW will adopt the European safety standard EN15194, joining Western Australia in requiring the benchmark. Under the standard, e-bikes must have a maximum power output of 250 watts, with power assistance cutting out at 25 km/h. No power assistance can be delivered above 6 km/h unless the rider is pedalling.
The standard also includes strict battery, electrical and fire-safety requirements, along with anti-tampering protections designed to prevent speed and power limits from being altered.
Mr Graham said the move would draw a clear line between bicycles and motorbikes.
“The community has spoken against souped-up motorbikes masquerading as e-bikes and this new standard makes clear that e-bikes must perform like bicycles not motorbikes,” he said.
“Make no mistake, with more than 750,000 e-bikes on NSW roads, this is a huge challenge to solve, especially after the former Liberal government opened the door to 500 watt e-bikes.”
Recognising that hundreds of thousands of higher-powered e-bikes were purchased legally under the previous rules, the government will introduce a three-year transition period. From 1 March 2029, only e-bikes meeting the European standard will be road legal in NSW.
The transition period reflects the typical lifespan of an e-bike and is intended to give households, retailers and manufacturers time to adjust. After consultation, retailers will also be required to clearly specify whether a bike meets the EU standard and is road legal in NSW.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said officers were already seeing the consequences of misuse.
“Police see first hand the consequences when powerful e-bikes are misused,” she said. “By introducing sensible age settings and cracking down on illegal, high-powered bikes, we are helping police prevent dangerous behaviour before more people are seriously hurt.”
