A Sydney man has been fined a total of $1544 for two e-bike offences late last year. The fines issued earlier this month were posted to social media on Saturday to query whether the penalties should be disputed.
The Uber Eats employee was making deliveries when he was pulled over by police on Bondi Rd at Bondi at 10.40am on December 23, his friend said anonymously in a post on Facebook.
The rider was fined for having an unregistered class A motor vehicle on the road, and fined again because the vehicle was unregistered.
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“Does a bicycle need to be insured or registered in NSW? He was not aware of that,” his friend asked social media users online.
Sydney lawyers JB Solicitors advise that, “E-bikes (in NSW) do not need to be registered, and using one does not require a driver’s or rider’s license.”
However, NSW Police previously told 7NEWS.com.au that e-bikes, like other motor vehicles, need to be road registered, and that riders are also required to have a Class R licence and wear a protective helmet.
Class A vehicles, which the Uber Eats employee’s e-bike was considered to be, are typically cars and motorcycles, according to Linkt, but it is not clear exactly what type of e-bike the man was riding at the time.
NSW permits both power-assisted pedal cycles and electrically power-assisted cycles on the state’s roads, but those e-bikes must meet a number of requirements regarding wattage, speed, and propulsion capabilities.
7NEWS.com.au has contacted Transport NSW and NSW Police to confirm whether a breach of these requirements resulted in the e-bike being classed as a vehicle which requires registration.
One bike mechanic and bike shop owner based in Victoria commented on the social media post, claiming as much was true across the border.
“Bikes must be pedal-assist only, and have a motor equivalent to, or below, 250 watts. Also, (they) have to be speed-restricted to 25km/h. If (a bike) doesn’t comply with even one of those, it’s considered an unregistered motor vehicle (same as a dirt bike).”
In NSW, power-assisted pedal bikes must have a maximum power output of up to 200 watts, and electrically power-assisted bikes must have a maximum continued rated power of up to 500 watts, according to the Transport for NSW website.
Some commenters flocked to defend the e-bike rider’s lack of understanding, and question the harsh penalty.
“(It) baffles me that riding an electric bike can attract such a heavy fine. Like seriously, $700 for riding a bike?” on person commented.
“Dunno anywhere else in the world you would cop these insane fines for riding a bike,” another said.
“How many more deliveries you gotta do to make that up?” another said.
“It must be lots of money (for them) to pay, and I guess your friend has been trying hard to make a living in Sydney.
But others slammed the rider for breaking the road safety rules.
“Perhaps when a family member is run down by someone riding an overpowered e-bike at high speed while they are walking along a shared path or even footpath, you will understand the severity of it,” one wrote.
“I want to know what their thinking is that leads them to ride with their feet hanging down off the pedals. Do they think that makes them invisible? They’re a scourge and the sooner they’re off the road, the better,” another said.
It is unclear whether vehicles used by Uber Eats employees require company approval, or whether the company educates its gig workers on the road rules local to their delivery area. 7NEWS.com.au has contacted Uber Eats for comment.
The Uber Eats driver is not the only Sydney rider to be confused by the state’s rules — just days before his fines were posted to social media, another Sydney woman was slugged with a $2575 fine while on a school run.
NSW Police said the 42-year-old woman picked up the child on an e-bike from a school in Canley Vale, but was pulled over because the child was not properly secured on the back of the e-bike.
The woman was also fined for other offences, including riding with a passenger under the age of eight who was not in a sidecar.