Brisbane’s most invisible bike path [shows how ludicrous the 10 km/h speed limit for ebikes is]
Posted by Zagorath
Brisbane’s most invisible bike path [shows how ludicrous the 10 km/h speed limit for ebikes is]
Posted by Zagorath
25 Comments
Shared first on the Aussie.zone Lemmy, a non-commercial un-enshittified Reddit alternative: https://aussie.zone/post/31316184. Borrowed from someone on the North Brisbane BUG.
Queensland’s Parliament is currently considering a bill which would effectively ban ebikes. They would be unable to go more than 10 km/h on footpaths and shared paths, which make up over 90% of the so-called “bike paths” in Brisbane. It will also force you to have a driver’s licence to ride an ebike, ban under-16s from riding them at all, and increase the penalty for riding without a helmet for both ebikes *and analogue bikes*.
There’s also the niche fact that it will require ebikes be compliant with the EN 15194:2017+A1:2023 standard, instead of just the basic EN 15194 standard. This is a specific niche change that means all older ebikes and even most currently-sold ebikes will be non-compliant with the technicalities of the law, even though they fit within the basic premise of being: (a) pedal assist, (b) 250 W maximum, and (c) incapable of going more than 25 km/h with motor assistance. One of the cycling advocates in Brisbane went to a local major bike store and checked their inventory. They only sold *one* model that complied with this new standard. And it was a child’s bike, and thus de facto illegal under these laws regardless, since children cannot ride ebikes.
Next week, Aldi’s specials will include a folding ebike. It will almost certainly not be compliant with the 2023 standard.
The details of the bill and the committee can be found here: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-Committees/Committees/Committee-Details?cid=272&id=8575
Or you can contact the committee directly here: SDIWC@parliament.qld.gov.au
Submissions to the committee close at **10 am this coming Friday** . So get them in by Thursday evening!
Greens MP Michael Berkman has created an easy-to-use form to help with making a submission: https://www.michaelberkman.com.au/emobility
I think it’s only fair, people should have to give up there bank records if they have a driver’s license. Anyone who purchases alcohol should lose their license. Drink driving is far more dangerous
While we’re at it, anyone with a mobile phone as well.
Good video. Nice simple practical way to demonstrate how not at all thought out these new rules are.
I don’t ride an eBike, just a regular roady, but I’ve made a submission.
Great video
At this point too many people have e scooters and bikes. I personally love getting out on my e scooter, I always hear people mention e mobility is good for mental health. I think anything that gets you out of the house is a good thing, it’s such a great way to spend your day and it makes me so happy. And I’ve decided that no one can take that from me. I’m not a criminal, I always ride respectfully. I really don’t see how they can even enforce such laws anyway.
Ive seen a child seriously injured by a teenager that hit them while riding an ebike, he then rode off and was never caught. something has to be done as it is now discouraging people from walking. They’ve turned our footpaths into motorways.
Side walks are shared duded!
Rules made by muppets who either don’t know what they are doing or don’t care. Both are pretty bad.
Nice video. Everyone needs to stop calling 10km/h a slow jog though. It’s actually at the top end of jogging speed, and lying about it (or just being misinformed?) is only hurting the case
Yeah, the 10km/h limit and asking e-bike holders to have licences is absurd. The real problem child (not actual kids, it’s an idiom) are the overclocked e-bikes going 40km/h along flat stretches of path like the Bicentennial Bikeway.
When I’d ride, on 3 separate occasions, there were e-bikes going well over 25km/h (the previous assisted limit) along completely flat stretches of path, most often the Bicentennial Bikeway. It is so obvious the unsafe speed they are going is well over 25km/h and that those are the unsafe riders.
And I’m not sure if any politicians making this law have even ridden an e-bike. Limiting e-bikes to 10km/h makes them useless. Brisbanites live far away from the bike paths that they would want to use to comfortably bike ride, particularly up on hills. Assisting up to 10km/h adds physically no benefit in riding up even steepish hills because the bike itself is already very heavy and carrying all the stuff you’d otherwise carry in your car. And normal, perfectly standardised e-bikes give out anyway when you try to over-peddle them (I find this *so annoying* on my e-bike because it means I can’t really use it as an additional daily exercise to my routine, but if you’ve ridden them, you’d know trying to force them to go over 30km/h sometimes breaks the peddle assist motor and you have to restart it to get back the peddle assist). And it’s pretty normal to be able to go over 30km/h down hills even on a normal unassisted bike (bicycle). So breaking the peddle assist failing is already kinda an in built limiter. (Edit: ebike companies please don’t use this as an excuse to cheap out or downgrade on your motors. That will also make them useless. useless law + useless motor = useless product that no one wants)
*And if you don’t like e-bikes, you probably also don’t like bikes themselves, because they have a lot of the same issues!* The best option is to separate pedestrians areas from cyclists. Why cyclists are forced to mix with the crowds of pedestrians through Southbank parklands is beyond me.
I’d be interested in learning how countries with high bike use are handling this problem. Anyone know what’s up in the Netherlands?
10kph is not a slow jog buddy
lol wtf 10km/h is how fast i run, and im a slow runner.
One thing that video seemed to highlight – how badly surfaced that path is. Perhaps it was just a purely mounted camera, but the thumping as it rode over lumps and bumps doesn’t paint a good picture.
Typical qld gov.
Step 1. Lack any foresight when new technology emerges.
Step 2. Implement poorly thought out rules which QPS don’t actually enforce
Step 3. Surprised Pikachu face while dozens of teenagers die across the state on e bike or e-scooter accidents.
Step 4. Panic and quickly bring in new laws, casting a wide net that unfairly punish the legit ebike and escooter riders along with the scum at a time where QLD has experienced record high fuel prices on top of living expenses
Pandering to QPS tactics, low hanging fruit….everytime!
I (57f) have made a submission.
To avoid busy roads – 12km, I ride 22km on mostly shared paths on a legal pedal assist bike.
This legislation would make my commute each way over 2 hours. Untenable.
My alternatives are to ride in busy peak hour traffic or drive, adding another car to the congestion.
Lazy, stupid legislation, but there is no money in bicycles or bike paths…
yeah a lot of these laws make no sense but i have been witness to someone going like i have no idea over than suicidally fast down a narrow shared creek trail on an e-bike and like if people could stop doing that i would appreciate it
10 km/h is a speed that can be chased on foot. Sounds like a number our fine police officers thought up.
Liberals got driven to school and it shows
Everyone is focusing on the 10km/hour rule (which I completely agree is absurd), but is it true that the new laws would also mean that riding an e-bike would require a driver’s licence (as stated in the video)?? That seems *insane*, but I haven’t heard anybody mention it!
Is this really a problem that needs addressing?
I am pretty sure people in registered vehicles are responsive for far more deaths each year than any bicycle be it motorized or not.
I took my kids for a ride on a shared bike path today. My eldest was on a 20″ bike, my youngest on a three wheel scooter and I was dawdling behind them on my ebike.
Based on the Speedo on my bike, my four year goes 9km/h on a scooter with one leg up behind her like a figure skater – she wasn’t even trying to go fast. Meanwhile i was struggling to stay upright on the ebike going so slow behind her.
It sounds like the requirement to be licensed is so people can be legally fined. A 10 km/h limit is a bit of a joke for any bike, really. I average 18 km/h with a normal mountain bike on paths, and I’m relatively unfit these days. They could have imposed a 10km/h speed limit in high use pedestrian areas.
Crazy, I run at approx 10-12km an hour. To be expected to limit my bike to my running pace is ridiculous.