The New South Wales government has announced plans to introduce a minimum age requirement for e-bike riders.
Should this be implemented, children under the age of 12 will not be allowed to ride e-bikes in NSW.
NSW Plans to Introduce Minimum Age Requirement for E-Bike Riders
According to a report by 7NEWS, Transport Minister John Graham said that current rules have raised serious safety concerns.
“At the moment it’s legal for a primary school kid with no peripheral vision who can barely lift one of these bikes to ride it on NSW streets,” Graham explained.
“It’s simply dangerous to have kids as young as 10 or 11 on these high-powered bikes,” he added.
The transport minister went on to emphasize that “We want kids on their bikes, we want them outdoors and off their screens, but we don’t want them hurting themselves and that’s the common-sense approach we’re taking here.”
Rapid Increase in Number of E-Bikes
According to The Guardian, the NSW government has noted that these has been a rapid increase in the number of e-bikes in the state.
Specifically, the government estimates that there are around 760,000 e-bikes in NSW.
According to the data presented in the report, the state recorded a total of 226 e-bike-related injuries in 2024. That number rose in 233 injuries and four deaths in just the first seven months of 2025.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley welcomed the idea of having age restrictions, saying that it could “prevent dangerous behaviour before more people are seriously hurt.”
“Police see firsthand the consequences when powerful ebikes are misused,” Catley said. “This is about getting the balance right, so e-bikes remain a useful transport option without putting the public at risk.”
