Call for bike safety, delivery rider regulations after pedestrian death

The increased use of electric powered bikes by food delivery riders is posing a growing danger to pedestrians, experts say.

A loophole in NSW where cyclists don’t have to be drug or alcohol tested after accidents – even if there is a death – needs to be changed, say safety campaigners.

And the increased use of electric powered bikes by food delivery riders is posing a growing danger to pedestrians, the experts say.

In one tragic case last year, much-loved grandfather Chengyi Shi, 89, died at Kirribilli in Sydney’s north after an electric bike rider allegedly went through a red light.

Mr Shi, who had just started crossing on a green pedestrian light, according to his family and witnesses, was knocked over, fracturing his skull and dying in hospital days later.

Food delivery cyclists on Sydney footpaths and using phones while riding. Photo: John Grainger

Sydney’s George St, where cyclists are riding on footpaths. Photo: John Grainger

While the electric bike of the cyclist has been impounded before a possible coronial inquiry, the grieving family say the rider should have been breath-tested and subjected to drug tests.

“He was an extraordinarily lovely man,” his son-in-law Dr Richard Piper said.

“He’d just come back from his daily walk. He walked out on a green signal and a cyclist came through and knocked him over. There were other witnesses and it’s clear he stepped out on a green signal.

“He hit the concrete and sustained a base of skull fracture. The cyclist claimed that his brakes didn’t work. Police have not laid charges.

“While it’s clear you can’t randomly drug and alcohol test cyclists, it is an offence to be drunk driving a bicycle and so if police have a reasonable suspicion, surely they can ask for drug and alcohol tests. We need to learn from this.”

Mr Shi celebrating his 60th wedding anniversary (far left) with his wife and three of his seven grandchildren.

Pedestrian Council of Australia chairman Harold Scruby says there’s a growing danger to pedestrians from cyclists, particularly electric bikes “souped up” beyond their legal restriction of not operating at more than an output of 250 watts and a speed of 25km/h.

He wants mandatory blood and alcohol tests for cyclists involved in collisions where a death or injury has occurred.

Police Minister David Elliott said: “With regards to the three issues raised by Dr Piper’s family, I am advised that the police did not obtain a blood sample or breath test for the bicycle rider because they have no power to do so.”

Mr Scruby’s FOI requests found that in NSW last year police booked just seven cyclists for riding on the footpath. Another seven were booked for speeding and 56 for riding on crossings – around one per week.

Pedestrian Council of Australia chairman Harold Scruby. Picture: Craig Wilson

“NSW Police are not enforcing the bicycle laws,” he said.

“It’s anarchy and the worst offenders are the food delivery couriers on their electric bikes – many of which have been souped up. In Victoria the police are now enforcing speeding cyclists in Melbourne where the penalties are around $1600, where in NSW they are a farcical $114.”