If your scooter, bike, or skateboard is motorised it is not the same as ordinary unpowered wheeled toys. When ridden, they can become dangerous to other footpath or road users.
These prohibited vehicles cannot be registered or insured and can only be used on private land.
It is, therefore, illegal to ride mini bikes, monkey bikes and some small electric or petrol-powered vehicles on public roads, footpaths, cark parks or in parks.
- All petrol-powered bicycles that:
- Have a petrol-powered engine attached before or after purchase
- Are powered by any other type of internal combustion engine.
- Motorised foot scooters (with or without a seat) with an electric or petrol engine
- Mini bikes or monkey bikes
- Motorised human transporters such as the WheelMan or Segway
- Skateboards with an electric or petrol motor
Safety Risks
Prohibited vehicles can cause serious injuries. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has recalled some mini and monkey bikes and issued a safety warning on hoverboards.
Penalties
There are heavy penalties for using an unregistered or uninsured vehicle in NSW. Use of a vehicle includes driving and parking the vehicle on a road or road-related area.
See: Transport for NSW.
Key Takeaways
- Motorized scooters, bikes, and skateboards are not legal on public roads, footpaths, car parks, or parks in NSW.
- Riding these prohibited vehicles in public areas is illegal because they cannot be registered or insured.
- The use of petrol-powered bicycles, motorized foot scooters, mini bikes, monkey bikes, motorized human transporters, and skateboards with motors is specifically prohibited.
- Violating these laws can result in heavy penalties for using unregistered or uninsured vehicles on roads or road-related areas.
Options if you receive a Penalty Notice
You have three options:
- Pay the fine;
- Request a review of the fine by Revenue NSW;
- Elect to take the matter to Court.
If you decide to take the matter to Court (that is ‘elect’) on the matter, you cannot reverse that decision and the maximum penalty related to the offence may increase. Therefore, it is important to know when and why you might decide to take a matter to Court before doing so.
If you or someone you know needs legal advice or representation for a criminal or traffic law matter, contact the team at Hamilton Janke Lawyers 24/7 by calling 4038 1666.
Image: Budge Direct.
Written By
Drew Hamilton
Drew Hamilton is founding partner at Hamilton Janke Lawyers. Admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales as a Solicitor and also listed on the High Court of Australia register.
