Why Australia needs e-bikes more than ever
Aussies don’t want to hear the truth about e-bikes. They reckon they are silly toy for reckless kids. The reality is something very different.
COMMENT:
People don’t want to hear the truth about e-bikes.
Some people see them as unnecessarily dangerous, while others insist they’re a toy for reckless kids.
In reality, e-bikes suit Australia’s way of life, and many people don’t realise that we need them.
Electrified bikes are a core ingredient in the future of Australia’s transport.
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Like many cyclists, I’ve changed my view on the matter.
As a passionate mountain biker, I looked on e-riders with contempt when they first hit the trails.
How dare those “cheaters” breeze past on their electric bikes, skipping the sacred suffering of the climb while I heaved and panted on a traditional pushbike?
However, a couple of months ago, I found myself test-riding one of Australia’s most popular e-bikes among the gig economy workers: the Zoomo.
And it changed my perspective completely.
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It was from that moment that I began to see e-bikes as tools that could genuinely drive social equity.
The convenience of an e-bike is unparalleled.
Anyone who rides will tell you Sydney is not flat.
But with an e-bike, even for the older individual, you can tackle the steepest suburbs without breaking a sweat.
And for those who are either too young for a car licence or don’t have access to a vehicle, the e-bike is a lifeline. It’s the difference between getting to work or meeting friends and being stuck at home.
However, where I see e-bikes making the greatest impact in Australia is in public transport.
Let’s be honest, Australia’s public transport network is hit-and-miss.
Frequent in a few inner corridors, sparse in outer suburbs and regional towns, and thin late at night.
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Think of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, a beautiful stretch of suburbs that might as well be on a different continent when it comes to effective transit.
Ask anyone trying to commute from Dee Why to the City. The network is notoriously terrible. During peak hour commutes, buses are guaranteed to be perpetually overcrowded, with frequent delays and cancellations.
My Facebook feed is constantly flooded with local complaints about being stranded or forced to miss multiple buses due to overcrowded services.
With this lifestyle, it’s a no-brainer why e-bikes are so popular in these areas.
When that 5km trip to the shops or the station is too short to justify battling traffic and finding parking, but too long to walk comfortably, the e-bike is the only sensible, reliable option that grants residents their freedom.
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So why throw out something that could genuinely solve the problem?
Concerns surrounding people simply not riding them legally and safely are absolutely a justifiable reason to address all their negatives.
But those problems stem from how people use them, not the existence of e-bikes themselves.
Blaming the bikes themselves is like blaming pedestrians for crowded footpaths.
And should there be more government initiative to regulate e-bikes? Absolutely.
Clear rules, proper enforcement, and investment in safer paths would go far beyond blanket outrage.
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State and local governments should update road rules, fund separated and shared paths, set and enforce sensible speed and behaviour standards, and back rider and driver education.
Banning e-bikes altogether is the laziest possible response to the e-bike dilemma.
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It would punish a solution that’s made so many people’s lives better while ignoring the real causes of conflict.
We shouldn’t penalise workers, students, and seniors who rely on e-bikes for affordable transport simply because our streets are unprepared for progress.
A thriving city supports solutions; it doesn’t just ban them.
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