Sydney to get parking zones for shared ebikes in bid to stop ‘wild west scenes’ of blocked footpaths
Shared ebikes cluttering Sydney footpaths will be kicked to the kerb in the coming months under funding to establish marked parking bays, the New South Wales government says.
On Tuesday, the state government announced $6.6m in funding for Sydney local councils to nominate and paint dedicated parking areas. Each council will be given up to $200,000.
Operators are paying for the Sharing Scheme Grant Program through a 60c fee on each shared ebike trip. When the program was first announced last year, operators including Lime suggested the levy would probably be integrated into existing management fees for ebike users.
The number of shared ebikes in Australia has quadrupled in less than two years, with the vast majority in Sydney. The city’s ebike fleet has surged from 13,000 in January to more than 20,000 in May, according to Transport for NSW.
The NSW transport minister, John Graham, said while the growth of shared schemes was a positive development, “we are not willing to stand around and let the wild west scenes … go on any longer”.
“Pedestrians have been crying out for order and for their footpaths back.”
The government says the funding is for the 16 councils that now host shared ebike schemes, to deliver marked bays on streets and kerbside zones “in the areas of most conflict and complaint”.
The scheme was announced last year alongside expanded powers for LGAs, which will be rolled out progressively in the coming months.
Councils can decide “no-go’” and “go-slow” zones for shared and private ebikes, and penalise shared ebike operators if parking areas aren’t used, with a maximum penalty of $55,000 plus $5,500 for each day the offence continues.
Multiple councils have already piloted shared parking schemes, including the City of Sydney, North Sydney and Waverley. Transport for NSW has trialled parking zones at nine train and metro stations around Sydney, with space for about 190 ebikes.
The transport secretary, Josh Murray, said the agency was accelerating its own rollout of bays at other transport hubs and stations.
“We’re aiming to have 250 bays available by late this year, with 62 already in delivery,” he said. The government said its trial pointed to marked bays reducing kicked-over bikes and blocked footpaths by half.
The changes are part of a safety crackdown on shared and private ebikes amid a surge in injuries and come after an incident earlier this year when dozens of ebikes swarmed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The government has given authorities powers to seize and crush private ebikes operating at speeds more than 25km/h but has yet to decide on a minimum age to ride an ebike.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · The Guardian ↗
Sydney's rapid expansion of shared ebike fleets—from 13,000 to over 20,000 in five months—has prompted the NSW government to fund infrastructure solutions. The state is allocating $6.6 million to 16 local councils to establish marked parking areas, with each council receiving up to $200,000. Operators fund the program through a 60-cent levy per trip. Councils now have authority to create no-go and go-slow zones for ebikes and can penalise non-compliant operators with fines up to $55,000 plus daily penalties. Transport for NSW has piloted parking zones at nine transport hubs with space for 190 ebikes, with evidence suggesting marked bays reduce abandoned and blocked footpath instances by approximately half. The agency aims to deploy 250 bays by year-end. These measures are part of broader safety regulations addressing injury increases linked to ebikes.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · The Guardian ↗
Shared ebikes cluttering Sydney footpaths will be kicked to the kerb in the coming months under funding to establish marked parking bays, the New South Wales government says.
On Tuesday, the state government announced $6.6m in funding for Sydney local councils to nominate and paint dedicated parking areas. Each council will be given up to $200,000.
Operators are paying for the Sharing Scheme Grant Program through a 60c fee on each shared ebike trip. When the program was first announced last year, operators including Lime suggested the levy would probably be integrated into existing management fees for ebike users.
The number of shared ebikes in Australia has quadrupled in less than two years, with the vast majority in Sydney. The city’s ebike fleet has surged from 13,000 in January to more than 20,000 in May, according to Transport for NSW.
The NSW transport minister, John Graham, said while the growth of shared schemes was a positive development, “we are not willing to stand around and let the wild west scenes … go on any longer”.
“Pedestrians have been crying out for order and for their footpaths back.”
The government says the funding is for the 16 councils that now host shared ebike schemes, to deliver marked bays on streets and kerbside zones “in the areas of most conflict and complaint”.
The scheme was announced last year alongside expanded powers for LGAs, which will be rolled out progressively in the coming months.
Councils can decide “no-go’” and “go-slow” zones for shared and private ebikes, and penalise shared ebike operators if parking areas aren’t used, with a maximum penalty of $55,000 plus $5,500 for each day the offence continues.
Multiple councils have already piloted shared parking schemes, including the City of Sydney, North Sydney and Waverley. Transport for NSW has trialled parking zones at nine train and metro stations around Sydney, with space for about 190 ebikes.
The transport secretary, Josh Murray, said the agency was accelerating its own rollout of bays at other transport hubs and stations.
“We’re aiming to have 250 bays available by late this year, with 62 already in delivery,” he said. The government said its trial pointed to marked bays reducing kicked-over bikes and blocked footpaths by half.
The changes are part of a safety crackdown on shared and private ebikes amid a surge in injuries and come after an incident earlier this year when dozens of ebikes swarmed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The government has given authorities powers to seize and crush private ebikes operating at speeds more than 25km/h but has yet to decide on a minimum age to ride an ebike.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · The Guardian ↗
The NSW government announced $6.6 million in funding for Sydney councils to establish marked ebike parking areas Each council will receive up to $200,000 for this purpose Operators pay for the scheme through a 60-cent fee per shared ebike trip Sydney's shared ebike fleet grew from 13,000 in January to over 20,000 in May The government described the situation as 'wild west scenes' requiring intervention Marked parking bays reduced kicked-over bikes and blocked footpaths by half in trials Transport for NSW has trialled parking zones at nine stations and aims for 250 bays by late 2024 Councils can penalise operators with maximum fines of $55,000 plus $5,500 daily penalties for non-compliance
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · The Guardian ↗ · The Guardian ↗
- NSW government funding $6.6m for councils to create marked parking bays for shared ebikes across Sydney
- Shared ebike fleet in Sydney has grown from 13,000 to over 20,000 in five months, prompting footpath congestion complaints
- Councils gain powers to designate no-go and go-slow zones, with penalties up to $55,000 for non-compliance by operators
- Transport for NSW trialling parking zones at stations; aiming for 250 bays by late 2024, with data showing marked bays reduce kicked-over bikes and blocked footpaths by half