Police News

Here’s what we have this week:

• Hope everyone enjoyed the Bounty Day public holiday, the weather was great for the walk
• We have mentioned this before but we are getting a lot of complaints recently relating to young people and how they are riding e bikes
• Some of these e bikes are very powerful and can reach relatively high speeds very quickly
• I will tell everyone honestly that the legislation has not caught up with the technology and we are seeking some legal opinion about e bikes and how they can be lawfully used here on Norfolk Island
• People using e bikes are responsible for their own actions and how they ride those bikes
• Use of e bikes on footpaths means that the rider has to be respectful of the pedestrians and they should slow down
• It is only a matter of time before a pedestrian gets hit by an e bike rider and nobody wants that to happen
• Depending on the power of the e bike they may be considered to me a form of motor vehicle and as such the rider may be required to hold the correct class of driver licence to operate on the road – this relates to the legal opinion we are seeking – but we wanted the community to be aware
• The final point in relation to e bikes relates specifically to young people who are riding them. The police have to emphasize that the responsibility sits squarely with the parents to ensure that their children are riding the e bikes respectfully and safely.

Have a great weekend.

Thanks,

Mark