Should e-bikes be registered?
The Department of Transport and Main Roads has reviewed 1106 submissions to Queensland’s parliamentary e-mobility inquiry, which included 36 per cent in support of registration.
But TMR argues non-compliant devices, such as overpowered electric motorbikes, are already banned, and a registration scheme would only work with active enforcement.
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The department said registration was effective for road vehicles because they had dealer-assigned plates, and identifiers such as Vehicle Identification Numbers [VIN], and because police conducted high-visibility enforcement.
But “e-mobility devices entered Queensland through varied channels, limiting point-of-sale registration”.
Without strong enforcement, offenders were unlikely to comply, TMR said.
People who ride high-powered electric motorbikes are already breaking the law by riding them on public roads and paths – they are only legal to ride on private property.
Introducing a tiered registration system based on power and speed would likely be complex and expensive, requiring certification, tamper-proof labelling and regulatory oversight, including federal government changes, and system changes to the Transport Registration and Integrated Licensing System.
Costs would probably fall on industry and consumers, including people who ride legal e-bikes that are limited to 25km/h and 250 watts, discouraging “active transport, increasing emissions, congestion and health issues”.
An alternative, suggested by Bicycle Industries Australia, was clear identification of non-compliant devices, such as permanent, visible markings reading “not for use on roads or public places” to help enforcement officers and inform riders of the rules.
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