Key facts
- New South Wales government is providing $6.6 million to Sydney councils for designated ebike parking zones.
- The funding aims to address issues of shared ebikes cluttering footpaths.
- Operators will contribute to the program via a 60-cent fee per trip.
- The number of shared ebikes in Sydney has surged significantly in recent years.
- Councils will gain powers to enforce parking rules and penalize operators.
- The initiative is part of a broader safety crackdown on ebikes.
Sydney is set to introduce designated parking zones for shared electric bikes in the coming months, with the New South Wales government allocating $6.6 million to local councils for this initiative. The funding aims to address the growing problem of shared ebikes cluttering footpaths and causing obstructions.
Each of the 16 participating councils can receive up to $200,000 to identify and paint these dedicated parking areas on streets and kerbsides, particularly in locations that have generated the most complaints. The program will be funded by operators through a 60-cent fee applied to each shared ebike trip, a cost that may be passed on to users.
The surge in shared ebikes, with Sydney's fleet growing from 13,000 in January to over 20,000 by May, has prompted the government's intervention. NSW Transport Minister John Graham stated that the "wild west scenes" of ebike clutter would no longer be tolerated, emphasizing the need to return footpaths to pedestrians.
Local councils will also be granted expanded powers to designate 'no-go' and 'go-slow' zones for both shared and private ebikes. Operators face significant penalties, including a maximum of $55,000 plus daily charges, if designated parking areas are not utilized. Several councils have already piloted similar schemes, and Transport for NSW has trialed parking zones at nine transport hubs, with plans to expand to 250 bays by the end of the year.
These measures are part of a broader safety initiative for ebikes, which has seen a rise in injuries. The government has also empowered authorities to seize private ebikes exceeding 25 km/h, though a minimum age for riding is still under consideration.