Electric scooters and bikes: Bayside

Electric scooters and electric bikes come in various types, and it’s important to know the rules when using them.

Electric bikes, or E-bikes, are regular bikes with a battery-powered motor to help you pedal. To use an E-bike legally on a road or footpath, it must have a motor with less than 200 watts of power. If your E-bike can move without pedalling, it’s probably over this limit, making it illegal for road or footpath use.

You can ride a power-assisted E-bike on a road or footpath as long as it provides assistance while you pedal. It should not be capable of starting from a complete stop without the rider pedalling the bike.

Heavy penalties apply if you ride a power-assisted E-bike with a motor exceeding the 200-watt limit on a road or footpath. These bikes are classified as motor vehicles according to NSW Road Rules and must be registered. However, since they can’t meet the registration criteria, they cannot be used on roads or footpaths.

E-scooters are treated similarly to bicycles under the rules in NSW. However, there are some differences to note;

• It is an offence for a child under the age of 16 years to ride an E-scooter on a footpath or a road; and
• If a person over the age of 16 years rides an E-scooter on a road or road related area (footpath), they are subject to same rules as bicycle riders such as the wearing of helmets, vehicle registration (if over 200-watts) as well as obeying all road rules.

For a safe ride, enjoy your E-bikes and E-scooters on private property.

E-scooter offences that may apply;