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Australia is cracking down on e‑bikes and e‑scooters. But is that what the public actually wants?

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Australia is cracking down on e‑bikes and e‑scooters. But is that what the public actually wants?

When was the last time you heard of a parliamentary inquiry into the road rules for cars in Australia? They’re not common.

But it’s a different story when it comes to e-bikes and e-scooters. These devices have become very popular, very quickly. But their rapid uptake has challenged regulators over where they should be ridden, who should be allowed to use them and how fast they can travel.

While the two devices serve similar purposes, they have often been treated differently under Australian road rules.

Authorities in Queensland and NSW have seized hundreds of non-compliant ebikes including devices with motors exceeding legal power limits or modified to travel at speeds beyond those permitted under e-bike regulations. Rising injury rates have fuelled public backlash. At times, this has prompted crackdowns or bans, such as the City of Melbourne’s 2024 decision to ban rental e-scooters, while continuing to allow rental e-bikes.

To find out what Australians actually think about e-bikes and e-scooters, we surveyed more than 2,000 people. As our new research shows, they gave some surprising answers.

When it comes to cars, there are internationally accepted regulatory standards supported by the World Health Organization. These draw on decades of research into how to make driving safer.

But we don’t have similarly well-established standards for e-bikes and e-scooters, because there’s not yet a large enough body of evidence to draw on.

As a result, public opinion carries considerable weight. A public vote in Paris in 2023 led to a ban on shared rental e-scooters.


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