Premier promises e-bike crackdown, but not before Christmas

The premier has promised new electric bike rules, days after two boys were killed in separate crashes, but not before Christmas.

Zeke Hondow, an eight-year-old boy, died on the Sunshine Coast on Thursday, when two e-bikes collided at Mountain Creek about 3.30pm.

A 15-year-old boy died two days later after crashing a Surron Ultra Bee electric dirt bike on Broadbeach Boulevard in Broadbeach, on the Gold Coast, just after 3am.

“I’m genuinely sad for what’s happened,” Premier David Crisafulli said from Townsville on Sunday.

“We are taking this so seriously … change is coming.”

But the premier is resisting pressure to instigate changes by Christmas, saying the government would wait for the parliamentary inquiry into e-bikes and e-scooters to publish its findings.

The inquiry is not required to hand down its findings until March 30 next year.

“When we get that report we are going to act on it and we are going to make the changes that have been put in the too-hard-basket for the last 10 years,” Crisafulli said.

“We owe it to families, we owe it to people who just want to go about their business and be safe.”

He added the state would work with federal authorities limiting the importation of overpowered or otherwise unsafe vehicles.

In Australia, the maximum speed e-scooters can be ridden at is 20-25km/h, depending on the jurisdiction.

In Queensland, people must be at least 16 to ride an e-scooter, but can ride under adult supervision from ages 12 to 15.

There are no age restrictions on riding bikes or e-bikes in Queensland.

Queensland Police have yet to confirm whether the e-bikes involved in the Sunshine Coast crash were modified but believe both riders were wearing helmets.

“Most police services around Queensland and the country are dealing with issues that are created by these high-powered e-bikes,” Chief Inspector Jason Overland said.

Modifications were being made to the devices faster than law enforcement could keep up, he said.

“Some have no pedal assistance at all. If it’s a pedal-assisted bike, that’s one thing – if it’s not, well then it’s a motorcycle.”

Meanwhile, a five-year-old girl on a scooter was killed in a collision with a ute outside Rouse Hill Public School in northwest Sydney on Thursday afternoon – just 15 minutes after the eight-year-old boy was killed on the Sunshine Coast.

The little girl was taken to Westmead Children’s Hospital in a critical condition, but later died.

The 43-year-old driver of the ute was taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

Police seized both the ute and the scooter for forensic examination and set up a crime scene.

With AAP

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