Concerns about fast-moving e-scooters and e-bikes on Young footpaths have prompted a reminder from police that privately owned e-scooters remain illegal to ride in public places in NSW. The issue was raised at a recent Young Business Chamber meeting, where one business owner said older customers had told her they were becoming more cautious about coming into town because they feared fast-moving bikes and scooters on footpaths. Since then, other local businesses have described similar incidents. One business owner said she recently saw four children on e-bikes and e-scooters near the lower end of Boorowa Street, moving between the footpath, driveways and road while cars and pedestrians were nearby. “They are dangerous, they were going up the footpath, off the footpath onto the side of the road, and then across Boorowa Street to the other side of the road,” she said. Another local business owner described an incident near the Southern Cross Cinema, where several e-bikes and e-scooters came quickly around the corner from the Young Services Club car park into the laneway beside the cinema. “The riders would not have been able to see who or what was coming up the lane, as they quickly came around the corner” she said. Young Police Officer in Charge Inspector Ben Granger said police had not received recent formal complaints about e-scooters in the CBD and officers regularly patrolling the main street had not generally noticed significant problems. However, he confirmed privately owned e-scooters remain illegal to ride in public. “Currently under NSW law it is illegal to ride a privately owned electric scooter in a public space,” Inspector Granger said. Privately owned e-scooters cannot legally be ridden on roads, footpaths, shared paths or bicycle lanes in Young and can only be used on private property. The position is different for shared or hire e-scooters operating in designated NSW trial areas, but Young is not part of a shared e-scooter trial. Inspector Granger said police enforcement options depend on the rider’s age. Possible penalties include $344 for riding without a helmet, $867 for using an unregistered motor vehicle, $867 for using an uninsured motor vehicle and $144 for riding on a footpath. For riders old enough to be licensed, an additional $572 penalty may apply for riding without a licence. Inspector Granger said someone aged 16 or older could potentially be dealt with for being unlicensed, while a child under 16 could still face penalties related to helmet use and operating an unregistered or uninsured motor vehicle. His message to parents was clear. “Currently, electric scooters are illegal to use in any area other than private property,” Inspector Granger said. He said police would warn parents against purchasing one where the intention was for it to be ridden in public. Inspector Granger also said parents should be aware that consequences could eventually go beyond fines, referring to proposed changes that would allow police to seize and destroy illegal electric scooters and e-bikes. The rules for e-bikes are different. Legal e-bikes can be ridden on NSW roads and paths where bicycles are permitted, but footpath rules depend on the rider’s age. Children under 16 can generally ride an e-bike on a footpath, while riders aged 16 and over are generally not permitted to do so unless an exception applies, such as accompanying a child under 16. Inspector Granger said e-bikes were more difficult for police to assess because their legality depended on speed, power and how the motor operated. “These are extremely difficult to police at present,” he said. He said a compliant e-bike must operate within prescribed power and speed limits, with motor assistance cutting out once the bike reaches 25km/h. An e-bike capable of travelling faster than 25km/h under motor power alone, or with a power output above the permitted limit, may instead be treated as a motor vehicle. While police have not received recent formal complaints, business owners say the issue is becoming noticeable in parts of the CBD, particularly where fast-moving bikes and scooters share space with pedestrians. With school holidays approaching, the message is simple: privately owned e-scooters are not legal to ride on Young’s streets or footpaths, and parents should understand the rules before buying one for public use.
