Most e-bikes are illegal and will be crushed: WA top cop’s warning to Perth teens

3 hours ago 2

Teenagers going on regular “ride-outs” in Perth’s northern coastal suburbs have been warned their e-bikes are actually illegal and will be confiscated and crushed by police if they are caught.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch put riders on Tuesday, confirming that, in the eyes of the law, e-bikes with a maximum speed of more than 25km/h were considered unregistered motorcycles. Riders must also be over 16.

The ride out in North Beach at the weekend.

“When they don’t meet the criteria of an e-rideable ... they are purely an unregistered motorcycle, and I think a lot of people purchasing these things think they are legal, and they are e-rideables, but unless they are quite slow ... these are unregistered motorcyclists,” Blanch told Radio 6PR.

“They are going to be seized and destroyed every single time, there is no giving them back, they are always heading to the crusher because they are not able to meet the registration requirements of state vehicles.”

Blanch said some families were spending up to $15,000 on the bikes, which was a “huge loss”.

The top cop’s comments come after police arrested two 15-year-old boys on Sunday following several reports of anti-social behaviour and traffic-related offences involving a large group of teens on e-bikes around Trigg, North Beach, Carine and Karrinyup.

The boys were later released back into the care of their parents, but had their bikes seized and impounded.

Resident Cuan Wheatley was one of the members of the public to report the group after his car was allegedly pelted with water balloons, causing him to swerve with his baby on board.

Angered by the incident, he pursued the boys and reportedly apprehended one, only for the group to allegedly then target his wife and child who remained in the car.

“[They] started abusing her with names and actually kicked one of the doors and kicked the rear boot, threw rocks at it,” Wheatley told Radio 6PR.

Acting WA Premier Rita Saffioti said there were two issues involved in the incident – one being young people engaging in anti-social behaviour, and the other being the rules around e-rideables in the state.

“A parliamentary committee is looking at the different types of e-rideables,” she said.

“In relation to e-rideables, there’s two things that are happening parallel, there’s a parliamentary committee that’s undertaken its inquiry and looking at all the different types of e-rideables.

“And then there’s the national discussion that’s happening with national ministers, we’re leading that work here in Western Australia.

“We’re submitting our proposals as part of that national framework in the next few weeks, and there’ll be a meeting of ministers in November to determine the way forward.

E-scooters seized during a police operation in April.

“So in the meantime, we just urge young people in particular, in relation to anti-social behaviour, to not harass innocent people going about their daily duties.”

In April, several people were charged in an operation targeting anti-social behaviour in North Beach ahead of an organised “ride-out” involving dirt bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters.

In May, Carine MP Liam Staltari raised a grievance on the issue in parliament.

“For several months now, sadly, locals in and around North Beach have had to contend with escalating bad and reckless behaviour, and as has been well covered by the community and in the media, this has included reckless driving in the middle of roads, including on arterial roads like West Coast Drive and Marmion Avenue; throwing rocks and water balloons at passing traffic; verbal abuse and intimidation of local residents; and, as the minister would know, plenty more,” he said.

“I am sure we would all agree that it is just not good enough and locals absolutely deserve better.”

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