Natalie Ward
Shadow Minister for Transport and Infrastructure
NSW Shadow Transport Minister Natalie Ward today called out the Minns Government's embarrassing backflip on e-bike number plates and warned that after months of talk and tinkering nothing on the ground has changed.
Earlier this year, Transport Minister John Graham went on 2GB to rubbish the idea of number plates on e-bikes, declaring they "won't help with enforcement." Now his own government's draft regulations are proposing exactly that for shared e-bikes.
"Call it a number plate, call it a 'fleet identification number', it's the same thing, and the Minister said it wouldn't work. Now, he is implementing it." Ms Ward said.
Ms Ward slammed the Government's half-measure approach, pointing out the regulations only target shared bikes, completely ignoring the dropkicks on private e-bike terrorising parks, footpaths and people across the city.
"The ratbags causing chaos aren't on shared e-bikes. They're on private e-bikes, and Labor has done absolutely nothing about the reckless behaviour," she said.
To make matters worse, the new laws for shared bikes passed Parliament six months ago, and the Government still hasn't brought them into force.
"Six months. Not a single regulation in effect. It’s all consultation and talk meanwhile, innocent Sydneysiders are dodging e-bikes left stranded across the footpath." Ms Ward said.
The Liberals and Nationals have called on Labor to support amendments giving police the power to immediately seize private e-bikes based on behaviour, not specifications.
"We’ve got renamed number plates for some e-bikes but still no accountability for ratbags.”
"NSW deserves a government that moves at the speed of the problem. This one is still stuck in first gear."