Queensland survey finds about half of private e-mobility devices non-compliant
The government-funded research estimates Queensland has close to one million privately owned devices, including 587,000 e-bikes.
About half of Queensland’s privately owned e-mobility devices fail to meet compliance requirements, a government-funded survey has found, using owners’ reports of their devices’ capabilities.
Researchers collected 3,464 responses between March and May through online platforms and postcards sent to households. Transport and Main Roads funded the work, which estimated private ownership across the state at close to one million devices.
University of Queensland’s Dr Richard Buning said the classifications relied on owners’ answers about speed, power and throttle characteristics. The leading issue was a maximum speed above 25km/h, followed by e-bike power exceeding 250W.
Compliance varied by device type: 65 per cent of e-bikes met requirements, compared with 45 per cent of other devices, a category including e-skateboards and e-unicycles. Dr Buning said assessing e-scooters was difficult because strict specifications were lacking.
The survey estimated there were 587,000 privately owned e-bikes. A third of e-bike riders were older than 60, while e-scooter owners had an average age of 37. More than 98 per cent of owners said they wore helmets when riding.
Dr Buning said buyers needed education about where and how they could legally ride. Transport and Main Roads said the government had strengthened laws and enforcement since the research, alongside education aimed at riders, parents, schools and retailers.
