Hundreds of e-bikes used for food delivery and share hire are cluttering footpaths in Sydney’s inner suburbs, frustrating locals and business owners.
Over the June long weekend, hundreds of e-bikes lined narrow footpaths along Victoria St in Kings Cross, making it difficult for pedestrians to use walkways.
More than one million e-bikes and e-scooters are used by residents in NSW and the government is now preparing regulations in response to an inquiry that examined their use across the state.
The inquiry found that while shared e-bike operators claimed to have technology and staff to manage parking and pathway obstruction issues, the reality was far different, as problems increasingly persisted.
It was recommended the state work with councils to include e-bike parking on roads and allocate existing car spaces for e-mobility parking in some areas.
Minister for Transport John Graham said in a statement there was still a lot of work to do, but a sensible set of rules would promote the benefits of e-bikes and e-scooters while protecting the safety of everyone sharing the paths and roads with them.
“We recognise the community’s concerns, particularly around device modification, fire risk, discarded shared e-bikes and poor rider behaviour – which is why we’re taking action,” he said.
The City of Sydney estimates more than 3000 e-bikes are available for hire in the city, and another 1500 are being used by citizens and food delivery services.
Designated parking areas for e-bikes have been allocated in some parts of the city but only accommodate up to 25 bikes, leaving areas cluttered with bikes.
In April, the City supported a recommendation made by the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee to reallocate road space for bike parking to maintain footpath space along Victoria St.
The committee found the number of food delivery and share bikes parked on footpaths had significantly increased.
A City of Sydney spokesman said about 60,000 share bike trips were taken each week in their local government area, with 20,000 trips starting or ending around Victoria St.
The City provided 13 designated share bike parking areas on footpaths last year that accommodate between four and 10 bikes and was working with operators to update its apps so users parked in designated areas.
The first on-street bike parking was implemented in Haymarket, with nine other sites approved for installation in the coming weeks that will accommodate up to 25 bikes in Potts Point, Millers Point, Chippendale, Zetland and Paddington.
“Data provided by share bike companies show that in 2024 more than 20,000 share bike trips started or ended on Victoria St or on nearby streets,” a spokesman said.
“We are proposing to add a further four designated on-street bicycle parking areas on a trial basis in Potts Point.
“While the City of Sydney doesn’t have any regulatory control nor enforceable powers, we are engaging with bike share operators so they can address the concerns of the community regarding the parking of their assets.”
Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou told NewsWire that while it supported the use of e-bikes as an important part of Sydney’s transport future, they needed better management and clearer regulations.
The business advocacy group has been calling for designated parking zones for e-bikes and rider education to prevent footpath clutter and maintain public safety.
“When done right, e-bike integration could be a win for commuters, businesses and residents alike – making our streets smarter, cleaner and more connected,” he said.
“The operators need to ensure that we manage them better, rather than people dumping bikes wherever.”
He said it was a frustrating issue and was keen to see government and councils come to a unified agreement on how to manage e-bikes.
“We can’t have different councils with different rules and regulations, we need to ensure there’s consistency,” he said.
“We’re calling on the state government to work with councils, to ensure there’s unified procedures in place for all the providers.
“They (e-bikes) play an important part in moving people around the city and the council has spent millions of dollars on bike paths.
“If we’re going to have all these bike paths, then we need proper procedures as to where bikes are parked and where they finish up.”
