North-Eastern Metropolitan Region
Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:54): (1825) I had the great pleasure of meeting recently with the Metro East Bicycle User Group. They are a fantastic group that advocate on behalf of all bike riders, including the Whitehorse Cyclists and Bicycle Network Victoria. They came to me recently to discuss the government’s proposed plan to ban e-bikes from public transport. They raised with me several legitimate concerns not only for young people but also for those who are more elderly, like me, in respect to using the public transport system. Many will ride to a certain location and then rely upon the public transport system, the trains in particular, to get them home. They are very concerned about this proposed ban. What I seek from Minister Gabrielle Williams in the other place is an update for the Metro East Bicycle User Group and obviously for the groups more broadly than that in respect to where this plan is, whether the planned ban on e-bikes will proceed and, if it will proceed, when, because there are very many Victorians who are concerned that this will limit their capacity not only to interact with the transport system but more broadly to actually participate in society.