Decision details

Moved by Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Worling –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         the City of Sydney’s Cycling Strategy and Action Plan encourages families and children to cycle to school; this is a means to reduce congestion, improve health and well-being, and reduce air pollution;

(ii)        since 2007 the City of Sydney has constructed 30km of separated cycleways;

(iii)      in the last 12 months, approximately 4 million share bike trips were taken in the City of Sydney, almost double the number from the previous year;

(iv)      as of February 2026, Police have been given expanded powers to seize and crush illegal electric motorbikes defined as having a motor over 250W or a throttle that works above 6km/h;

(v)       in the City of Sydney, share e-bike providers have a speed restriction of 25km/h and in high pedestrian zones bike speeds are limited to 10km/h through geofencing technology. While it is legal for people under 18 to ride e-bikes, shared e-bike providers require riders to be 18 years or older;

(vi)      notwithstanding restrictions, it is predicted that e-bike sales will hit 300,000 units in 2026, with significant growth being riven by people aged 15 to 24 with ‘seize and crush’ orders likely to inundate the second-hand market with high-powered, illegal e-bikes; and

(vii)     children’s hospitals in Sydney report 94 e-bike related injuries in 2025. Police are reluctant to engage in pursuits of children on e-bike ‘ride outs’ due to the risk of injury;

(B)      Council further note:

(i)         there are currently a range of programs being developed for people to learn how to ride safely such as:

(a)       the City of Sydney’s Cycling in the City course for people who want to learn to ride on roads safely;

(a)       a high school pilot program at Newtown Performing Arts High School for students in years 8, 9 and 10;

(b)       bike safety courses developed by Transport for NSW; and

(c)       Bicycle NSW and Student Bicycle License Scheme pulots with the Northern Beaches Council, Sutherland Shire Council and the City of Newcastle;

(ii)        there are no mandatory bike rider education programs in NSW and specifically none designed with a harm minimisation approach to bicycle safety that address:

(a)       managing higher speeds and risks associated with bikes and e-bikes, as devices capable of inflicting harm on the rider and others;

(a)       cognitive and behavioural de-risking geared specifically to adolescent risk-taking behaviour and peer-group pressure; and

(b)       road rules such as education on speed limits, no-ride zones, parents’ legal liabilities, and seize and crush rules; and

(C)      the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the Minister for Transport and the Parliamentary Secretary for Transport requesting:

(i)         that Transport for NSW’s bicycle education course, currently in development, focus on the harm minimisation principles outlined above; and

(ii)        that given usage of e-bikes and the extensive access to separated cycleway infrastructure that high schools in the City of Sydney be considered as a priority location for a pilot program.

Carried unanimously.

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