Source: Electrek, Fietsberaad, Yahoo Australia

A proposal in New South Wales, Australia, known as the Student Bicycle License Scheme (SBLS) aims to act as a trial of a new licensing program for school-age riders of electric bikes.

Yahoo News Australia reports that teenagers are among the most frequent users of e-bikes, and that the proposed scheme, put forward by Bicycle NSW, aims to promote the safe use of e-bikes. The scheme is due to launch in some schools in mid-to-late September.

The scheme will require any students wanting to ride an e-bike or e-scooter to school to complete an online training course, and to pass a knowledge test, to be issued with a digital “ride-ready” license.

The CEO of Bicycle NSW, Peter McLean, said that the trial is mainly about promoting education and awareness. Individual schools are free to decide whether to participate and how to implement the scheme; for instance, they could make it mandatory for any student wanting to use the school’s secure bike parking facilities.

There are no current plans to introduce fines or other penalties for any unlicensed riders during the pilot phase – the initial focus is on education. The government is working with road safety experts and schools to develop training materials for the scheme, including topics such as speed limits, the use of helmets, etiquette on sidewalks, and the proper behaviour at intersections.

McLean said, “[The trial] focuses on a number of the basic rules for bicycle users, but also on etiquette and respect. It also includes helpful knowledge around bicycle security and equipment.” The trial stage will be assessed, he continued. “We just want to make sure we develop the program thoroughly first before we broaden the offering to others.”