Latest news with #OperationKilowatt
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
More than 30 illegal e-bike riders fined following four-week-long police crackdown on Sydney's Northern Beaches
A month-long police operation cracking down on illegal e-bike riders in Sydney's Northern Beaches has resulted in more than 30 copping fines, and about 60 cautions issued. E-bikes are bicycles with an electric motor that assist pedalling for the rider and make cycling easier. Two types of e-bikes are permitted in NSW - power-assisted pedal cycles and electrically power-assisted cycles. The crackdown, led as part of Operation Kilowatt, uncovered illegally modified bikes in which the motor has become the main source of propelling the bike rather than the pedals. 'Parents need to understand e-bike riders are subject to the same rules as bicycle riders. They need to make sure the e-bike is not unlawfully modified and complies with the law,' Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner David Driver said in a NSW Police statement. 'Police commonly see illegal and modified e-bikes where the motor becomes the primary source of propelling the bike – essentially making it a motorbike. The use of unlawfully modified e-bikes create a significant risk when used in pedestrian or heavy traffic areas. 'Young people and adults need to understand these risks when riding an e-bike, so they do not become a danger to themselves and others.' Police conducted 305 e-bike compliance checks, identifying 28 illegal e-bikes which did not comply with current legislation due to adjustments or modification. Officers issued 32 fines for a number of offences including not wearing a secured helmet or using a mobile phone while riding. NSW Police said there were "29 warnings given to young people under 14 and 29 young people aged over 14 were issued with official warnings under the Young Offenders Act". "More than 30 people aged over 18 were given cautions," it said. Community members have voiced their concerns over the vehicles, which have been involved in several serious injury incidents and even a couple of fatalities in recent years. According to a St Vincent's Hospital report, more than 500 e-bike riders were taken to emergency rooms due to road incidents between 2022 and 2024. In 2024, 48 injuries related to e-bikes and e-scooters were recorded at Westmead Children's Hospital and Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick. A 32-year-old woman in central NSW was killed in March after she was involved in a crash with a ute while riding her e-scooter on the Great Western Highway in Lithgow. In Queensland, data released in June revealed four people had died in e-scooter accidents on Queensland roads so far this year.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
At Sydney's Northern Beaches, the modified bikes speed between vehicles and pedestrians regularly
Police have wrapped up a month-long crackdown on illegal e-bike usage at Sydney's Northern Beaches, where modified e-bikes speed between vehicles and pedestrians regularly. New South Wales Police conducted Operation Kilowatt from June 17 to July 15, conducting hundreds of compliance checks on e-bikes which were spotted by officers
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Major e-bike crackdown hits Sydney
Police have wrapped up a month-long crackdown on illegal e-bike usage in Sydney's Northern Beaches, where modified e-bikes speed between vehicles and pedestrians regularly. NSW Police conducted Operation Kilowatt from June 17 to July 15, conducting hundreds of compliance checks on e-bikes which were spotted by officers patrolling in Avalon, Manly and Dee Why. Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner David Driver said the focus of Police was not just on enforcement, but education as well. Police have undertaken similar operations before. This image was taken during a police bicycle safety operation in 2023. NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia 'Legal e-bikes are powered with rechargeable batteries, and the electric motor assists while pedalling up hills. To be compliant, the rider must primarily propel the bike with pedals,' Assistant Commissioner Driver said. 'Parents need to understand e-bike riders are subject to the same rules as bicycle riders. They need to make sure the e-bike is not unlawfully modified and complies with the law,' he said. 'Police commonly see illegal and modified e-bikes where the motor becomes the primary source of propelling the bike – essentially making it a motorbike. The use of unlawfully modified e-bikes create a significant risk when used in pedestrian or heavy traffic areas.' E-bikes are popular with Sydney's gig economy workers. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia 'Young people and adults need to understand these risks when riding an e-bike, so they do not become a danger to themselves and others.' In NSW, there have been two fatalities involving e-bikes in the past two years, and in April an e-bike accident resulted in a boy sustaining a compound fracture to his leg. E-bikes are considered illegal when they have been retrofitted or modified to operate outside of their legislated power output and speed limit. An e-bike is considered to be illegally modified if the power output and speed capabilities exceed those regulated by the NSW government. The Northern Beaches are a hotspot for E-bike usage. NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia Under NSW law, an e-bike motor must cut off when the bicycle reaches speeds exceeding 25km/hr. E-bikes are usually built with speed capabilities that greatly exceed NSW regulations, but companies retrofit them with throttle locks so the bikes are complicit and able to legally be sold. Some companies offer users the ability to remove their throttle lock upon request, a process referred to as 'jailbreaking,' and jailbroken e-bikes are often sold and advertised on less-regulated online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace. Overall, 32 penalty notices were issued, 28 illegal e-bikes were identified and 29 warnings were handed out during the operation. Earlier this year, a parliamentary inquiry into the use of e-scooters, e-bikes and related mobility options released its findings. Chairperson Cate Faehrmann said NSW laws were struggling to keep up with the development of e-bikes. 'Without a shift to forward-thinking, comprehensive strategy, the opportunities promised by e-mobility could be overshadowed by safety risks, public frustration and preventable incidents,' she said. 'The issues we are seeing with e-mobility devices are not so much about the devices themselves - they are signs that the rules and the way we enforce them are outdated or ineffective. Action is needed now.' Responding to the inquiry in May, Minister for Transport John Graham said he recognised the concerns of the community. 'They're known as 'micro' devices, but e-bikes and e-scooters represent a major shift for our road and transport networks,' he said. 'We believe a sensible set of rules will promote the health and lifestyle benefits of e-bikes and e-scooters while protecting the safety of riders and everyone else sharing the paths and roads with them.' The NSW government is placing a major focus on 'boosting rider and road user education' through 'voluntary tests, campaigns and updates to in-school road safety education programs'. It also aims to increase e-bike data collection to better understand the needs of the community.
West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Police crack down on illegal e-bike mods in Sydney's Northern Beaches
Police have wrapped up a month-long crackdown on illegal e-bike usage in Sydney's Northern Beaches, where modified e-bikes speed between vehicles and pedestrians regularly. NSW Police conducted Operation Kilowatt from June 17 to July 15, conducting hundreds of compliance checks on e-bikes which were spotted by officers patrolling in Avalon, Manly and Dee Why. Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner David Driver said the focus of Police was not just on enforcement, but education as well. 'Legal e-bikes are powered with rechargeable batteries, and the electric motor assists while pedalling up hills. To be compliant, the rider must primarily propel the bike with pedals,' Assistant Commissioner Driver said. 'Parents need to understand e-bike riders are subject to the same rules as bicycle riders. They need to make sure the e-bike is not unlawfully modified and complies with the law,' he said. 'Police commonly see illegal and modified e-bikes where the motor becomes the primary source of propelling the bike – essentially making it a motorbike. The use of unlawfully modified e-bikes create a significant risk when used in pedestrian or heavy traffic areas.' 'Young people and adults need to understand these risks when riding an e-bike, so they do not become a danger to themselves and others.' In NSW, there have been two fatalities involving e-bikes in the past two years, and in April an e-bike accident resulted in a boy sustaining a compound fracture to his leg. E-bikes are considered illegal when they have been retrofitted or modified to operate outside of their legislated power output and speed limit. An e-bike is considered to be illegally modified if the power output and speed capabilities exceed those regulated by the NSW government. Under NSW law, an e-bike motor must cut off when the bicycle reaches speeds exceeding 25km/hr. E-bikes are usually built with speed capabilities that greatly exceed NSW regulations, but companies retrofit them with throttle locks so the bikes are complicit and able to legally be sold. Some companies offer users the ability to remove their throttle lock upon request, a process referred to as 'jailbreaking,' and jailbroken e-bikes are often sold and advertised on less-regulated online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace. Overall, 32 penalty notices were issued, 28 illegal e-bikes were identified and 29 warnings were handed out during the operation. Earlier this year, a parliamentary inquiry into the use of e-scooters, e-bikes and related mobility options released its findings. Chairperson Cate Faehrmann said NSW laws were struggling to keep up with the development of e-bikes. 'Without a shift to forward-thinking, comprehensive strategy, the opportunities promised by e-mobility could be overshadowed by safety risks, public frustration and preventable incidents,' she said. 'The issues we are seeing with e-mobility devices are not so much about the devices themselves - they are signs that the rules and the way we enforce them are outdated or ineffective. Action is needed now.' Responding to the inquiry in May, Minister for Transport John Graham said he recognised the concerns of the community. 'They're known as 'micro' devices, but e-bikes and e-scooters represent a major shift for our road and transport networks,' he said. 'We believe a sensible set of rules will promote the health and lifestyle benefits of e-bikes and e-scooters while protecting the safety of riders and everyone else sharing the paths and roads with them.' The NSW government is placing a major focus on 'boosting rider and road user education' through 'voluntary tests, campaigns and updates to in-school road safety education programs'. It also aims to increase e-bike data collection to better understand the needs of the community.
