THE annoying buzz of two-wheeled petrol-powered pests will be banned from public roads next month under new legislation introduced by the State Government.
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Roads Minister Duncan Gay has announced all petrol-powered bicycles would be banned on NSW roads and road-related areas from October 1 due to the serious road safety risk they could pose.
Bathurst residents had been calling for a ban as far back as March 2012 when the Western Advocate published photos of a petrol-powered pushbike weaving through busy George Street traffic on the wrong side of the road.
And Bathurst MP Paul Toole, who also backed a ban on petrol-powered bikes in 2012, was yesterday happy to support the new laws.
“I think it’s a sensible announcement and I applaud the minister’s decision,” he said.
“This is about taking measures to look after people’s safety.
“Unfortunately, the thing with these petrol-powered bikes is that they have been misused and people have been using them like motorcycles when they are not designed for that purpose.”
Mr Gay said the ban would bring NSW legislation in line with Queensland, and called for a national ban on the bikes.
“We saw three lives lost last year including the tragic loss of a young 14- year-old boy in Western Sydney. That’s three lives too many,” Mr Gay said.
“Petrol-powered bicycles operate like a motorcycle, making them a serious road safety hazard in young hands.
“These bikes can travel at high speeds but their brakes and other safety components are only designed for standard bicycles. This means they take much longer to stop than a standard bike, greatly increasing the risk of crash.
“We’ve seen too many injuries and lives lost because of these bikes and I make no excuse for putting my foot down to get rid of them.”
Under changes to NSW laws, the ban will include all bicycles that have had a petrol-powered engine attached after purchase, were purchased with a petrol-powered engine or are powered by any type of internal combustion engine.
However, Mr Gay said the changes would not apply to power-assisted bicycles that use a combination of electric motors and pedalling and have appropriate safety requirements.
“Legal bicycles from October 1 include regular bicycles with no engines attached, complying 250 watt pedelacs and 200 watt power assisted pedal bicycles that are powered by an electronic motor,” Mr Gay said.
“The legislation on mopeds and motorcycles will remain unchanged.”
