Queensland e-bike laws: riders warn commutes could “roughly double”
Queensland e-bike commuters are pushing back hard on new laws that would cap the speed of all e-mobility devices at 10km/h on shared paths.
The move, introduced to state parliament last month, is set to come into effect from July 1, subject to the parliamentary process. Supporters say the changes are meant to improve safety after a parliamentary inquiry pointed to a run of e-mobility-related injuries and deaths. But riders say the reality is more complicated—and more punishing for everyday travel.
One Brisbane commuter, Laura Leighton, a cancer researcher at the University of Queensland, said her commute could “roughly double” under the new speed limit. She uses an e-bike to get to work from Brisbane’s southern suburbs and doesn’t have a car. With odd work hours, she said riding felt safer than catching public transport. “Even more concerning than the time I would waste is the fact it’s actually really physically difficult to comply with a 10km/h speed limit on a bicycle,” she said. “I’m looking at my speedo the whole time, I’m wobbling. I think I’m more likely to spook a pedestrian trying to get past them at 10km/h.”
Fines would also rise sharply. Riders clocked going less than 11km/h over the limit would be fined $333, while 11 to 20km/h over would cost $500. A bigger breach—21 to 30km/h over—would be fined $751.
The amendment bill says the lower speed limit is designed to address “public safety concerns and improve the safety of pedestrians”, and suggests it will encourage riders to “select routes that better support higher speeds.” But Ms Leighton warned that logic could push people onto Brisbane’s busier road system. “It’s very scary, to be honest, riding on the roads around Brisbane. I’ve had several very close passes from cars and trucks,” she said. She added she felt she’d have “few options” once the laws come into effect.
Bicycle Queensland CEO Matthew Burke said the new limit would hit the majority of the bikeway network. “This legislation is really going to impact most of the places we purpose built for cyclists to go to get off dangerous roads,” he said. Mr Burke warned the changes could add up to 30 minutes for e-bike commuters travelling into the CBD from the outer suburbs. “People aren’t going to do that,” he said.
He also pointed to Department of Transport and Main Roads guidelines on speed management on shared paths, released in August 2020, which said setting a speed limit “has proven high cost for little benefit” and that there is “no defensible justification for imposing regulatory speed limits on shared paths.” The guidelines argue a better approach would be clear instructions, path design and traffic control to guide safe riding behaviour. They also cited studies suggesting a bicycle can become unstable at speeds below 11km/h.
At the same time, Mr Burke said Bicycle Queensland supports crackdowns on “overpowered, illegal devices”, arguing there’s a real problem with riders using dangerous setups. “Everyday I have children on dangerous devices overtaking me on a long, uphill section at 40 or 50 km/h,” he said. “That’s what we have been asking for … control on those dangerous devices.” He said there are more than 200,000 legal e-bikes in Queensland that would be affected by the new legislation, warning: “We’re making this the hardest place on earth to ride a safe, legal e-bike at exactly the time that Queenslanders and Australians are desperate to get into low cost, door-to-door mobility of the kind that safe legal e-bikes represent.”
Queensland’s minister for transport Brent Mickelberg said the government is ready to take action, saying it will make “tough decisions”. In a statement, he criticised what he described as a prior approach: “Labor funded and put illegal e-scooters and e-bikes on the streets, while we’re removing them,” he said.
For riders like Ms Leighton, though, the message isn’t landing. She said the laws are “completely missing the mark.” And as July 1 approaches, the debate over speed, safety and who gets protected on shared paths is only getting louder.