Stay in your lane: As testing for the Parramatta Light Rail ramps up ahead of its opening later this year, Council are calling on the NSW Government to tighten the rules for delivery e-bike riders.
Those who walk down Church Street in the heart of Parramatta will be familiar with the sight of delivery riders zooming down the Light Rail tracks on electric power-assisted bikes.
But with the trams set to open to the public in the coming months, concerns over the safety of both pedestrians and e-bike riders are growing.
At the latest City of Parramatta meeting, Council voted to write to the State Government about the un-safe conditions and advocate for compliance enforcement with the NSW road rules among e-bike delivery riders.
Council is also urging the State Government to consider making occupational licenses a requirement for the delivery riders and the platforms that assign them work.
Deputy Lord Mayor Dr Patricia Prociv, who put forward the notice of motion, said the move is about the safety of all concerned.
“I walk up Church Street a minimum of three times a week and there are groups of e-bike riders that congregate in the middle of the Light Rail track,” she said.
“This is purely about safety, safety for the pedestrians, safety for people who use footpaths, active transport users and safety for the people who ride the bikes.”
She said a huge concern is that once the Parramatta Light Rail is fully operational it will push delivery e-bike riders off the tracks and onto the footpath with pedestrians.
“I have spoken to the people from Light Rail who are holding their breath once the trams start coming and they are concerned,” Prociv added.
“The big concern is the delivery drivers aren’t going to go away, they’re going to all come onto the footpath, so there’s going to be this massive conflict between pedestrians and riders.
“They don’t need an Australian license to get an e-bike they just need to hire an e-bike, so they do not know the road rules or they’re not familiar with the road rules, and the unfamiliarity with the road rules [combined] with trying to make a bit of money to survive… I just think it’s a recipe for disaster.”
Councillor Kellie Darley backed the motion, saying e-bike riders on the footpath are particularly concerning for residents who are visually impaired.
“It has been a bit of a nightmare to wander through the footpaths and through the streets of the CBD lately, particularly through Centenary Square and up into Parramatta Square,” she said.
“I know from residents who have a guide dog, just the extra challenges of having these bikes ride pass very quickly on what they assume to be a footpath.”
Currently under the NSW road rules for bicycles, riders can ride in transit lanes, truck lanes and bus lanes, but not tram only or bus only lanes.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.