NSW Police seize 22 e-bikes at Cronulla, Wollongong and Shellharbour

NSW Police and Transport for NSW officers seized 22 alleged illegal e-bikes in a joint operation across Cronulla, Wollongong and Shellharbour between 2pm and 8pm on Friday 16 October. Police said it was the second such operation since the state's new seizure laws came into force, and that more will follow.

What police found

• One seized e-bike had been modified to travel at 50 km/h, and several others had been modified to go faster than 40 km/h
• The operation targeted bikes over the legal speed and power limits, not general rider behaviour
• Police said some of these bikes weigh 45 to 50 kg, which means close to 100 kg of bike and rider moving at that speed
• Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Marjorie O'Neill said people can spend up to $7,000 on one of these bikes

An officer hurt at Shell Cove

At about 5:40pm on Friday, a senior constable tried to stop an e-bike rider on Aquatic Drive at Shell Cove and was allegedly hit by the bike. Police allege the rider failed to stop and fled. The officer was taken to Shellharbour Hospital with a serious leg injury and was reported to be in a stable condition. Police later charged an 18 year old man with multiple offences, and he is due to appear before Port Kembla Local Court on 28 October. The charges have not been tested in court.

Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner David Driver, said there is no place on roads and footpaths for illegal and modified e-bikes, and that popularity, particularly among young people, does not exempt them from the law. He urged buyers to check the NSW e-bike requirements before they buy, warning that an illegal or modified bike may be seized, assessed and destroyed.

The context

Since 21 August, police and Transport for NSW officers have been able to seize a non compliant e-bike on the spot and have it forfeited and crushed without a court order. The first big operation under the new powers, on Sydney's northern beaches in September, led to the first bikes being crushed at Blacktown on 1 October. The Illawarra has become a focus after a run of serious incidents on its paths, including the September collision that seriously injured former ABC presenter Margaret Throsby near Thirroul. The government says an expert review has recommended a minimum riding age of between 12 and 16, and that other rules are still being worked through.

What it means for riders

In NSW a legal e-bike today has up to 500 watts of continuous power, motor assistance that stops at 25 km/h, and a throttle that only works up to 6 km/h when you are not pedalling. Anything that keeps pushing past those numbers, whether it was sold that way or modified later, is the kind of bike that is being stopped, tested and taken.

• Check the continuous power rating and the assisted top speed on the compliance label and spec sheet, not the advertised peak power
• Do not unlock, derestrict or fit a speed dongle: a modified bike is treated as illegal and can be seized and crushed
• Parents should check their kids' bikes now. Police and the government both pointed to young riders, and the government's message to parents was to check their children's bikes
• If police signal you to stop, stop. Failing to stop turns an e-bike seizure into a criminal matter
• Keep your receipt and a photo of the compliance label. Only an owner who was not the rider can apply to get a seized bike back, within 14 days