A woman has suffered serious head injuries after being hit by an e-bike.
The 25-year-old was hit by a Lime Bike while walking across a pedestrian crossing on Flood St in Bondi, Sydney, about 9pm on Saturday, police said.
Paramedics treated the woman for a head injury before rushing her to St Vincent’s Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
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The rider, a 35-year-old man from Bondi Junction, was arrested over concerns he was “riding whilst intoxicated”.
“The man was taken to Paddington Police Station but has been released pending further investigation,” NSW Police said.
Lime becomes the only provider to sign safety agreement after bikes were ridden dangerously and left on footpaths. Credit: Adobe Stock/Dragoș Asaftei – stock.adobe.com
It comes at the tail end of a six-month trial period attempting to “manage and regulate” share bikes across Waverley Council.
Lime was the sole provider to sign onto the agreement after the bikes were seen to have become a safety issue while being “ridden dangerously and dumped on footpaths”.
The bikes have been limited to a speed of 25kmh while using electric power, but could be reduced further at certain locations in Waverley Council such as environmentally sensitive areas and pedestrian malls.
Bikes dumped on footpaths are also required to be relocated within three hours before it is impounded and the provider fined.
The trial will finish on November 30 before the whole two-year agreement comes into effect.
It also follows a spate of injuries and deaths leading to calls for more restrictions on e-bikes.
A devastating week in Queensland earlier this month resulted in a 15-year-old boy’s death while riding his electronic motorbike in Broadbeach, Queensland, and an eight-year-old killed as he rode home from school on the Sunshine Coast.
The pressure for reform has surged off the back of the growing popularity of e-bikes and those recent tragedies, as well as others in Queensland and across the country.
Andrew Garnsworthy — chief executive of Pedal Group, which operates under bicycle and e-bike retailer 99 Bikes — said e-bikes deliver substantial economic, environmental, and health benefits.
But even so, he said there is “no way in hell” he would allow his kids to ride one designed for adults.
In his letter to Queensland Premier David Crisafulli, the father of three proposed a two class e-mobility framework, with one category allowing a top speed of 35km/h on roads and 25km/h on paths.
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