E-bike crackdown continues with seize and crush powers

By Tom Wark

The national reckoning of electric bikes is ramping up as multiple states consider sweeping new laws, such as banning children from riding the devices and giving police powers to seize and destroy illegal ones.

NSW Police and transport officers would be given new powers to seize illegal e-bikes to be crushed under legislation introduced to NSW Parliament on Tuesday.

If an e-bike is performing like a conventional motorbike in terms of power or speed, then it could be destroyed under the laws, which mirror those in place in Western Australia, the government says.

“We don’t want to discourage safe and healthy e-bike use, but we do want to discourage dangerous and illegal e-motorbike use,” Transport Minister John Graham said.

“This legislation gives police and transport officers the powers they need to efficiently and permanently remove these devices from our streets.”

NSW will become the first state to roll out roadside “dyno units”, which measure whether an e-bike can go faster than the 25km/h speed limit.

The new crushing powers would apply to all devices that breach the standards, even if bought in error, Mr Graham said.

The legislative crackdown aligns with a heavier police response to dangerous e-bike use on the state’s roads.

Fines were issued to 170 people in Sydney over two days last week as NSW Police carried out a compliance operation focused on schools, business districts and beaches.

Five riders tested positive for drugs and 21 traffic charges were laid during the operation, the state highway patrol commander said.

“While e-bikes are a great mode of transport when ridden safely … police have seen an increase in illegal or anti-social e-bike rider behaviour,” Superintendent Anthony Boyd said.

Meanwhile, Queensland parliament on Tuesday will consider new laws recommended by an inquiry into e-bikes last month, such as banning children from using them.

The bipartisan committee’s key recommendation is that e-bikes should only be allowed to be ridden by people who hold a learner’s driver’s licence, thereby preventing anyone under 16 from riding one.

A 10km/h speed limit on footpaths is another change to the state’s laws suggested by the report.

The committee also called for similar seizure and crushing laws to the ones announced by NSW.

E-bikes were involved in the deaths of a dozen people in 2025, including several children.