‍Riding an illegal e-bike? Zoomo launches trade-in program for riders to avoid fines‍

Do you know someone being fined for not having a safe, roadworthy e-bike? 

We estimate that more than half of e-bike deliveries happen on non-compliant e-bikes in Sydney that exceed the legal limit of 25km/hr, putting themselves, pedestrians and motorists at risk.

At the same time, it is now a huge financial risk to be riding an illegal e-bike especially in major cities like Sydney where a major police crackdown has been underway to penalise riders on non-compliant e-bikes (which are generally cheap electric bikes). As part of this crackdown, many riders implicated face fines as high as $2-3k. 

We believe that the sale of illegal and unsafe e-bikes should be stopped at the supplier to limit the sale and distribution of these e-bikes that put food delivery riders, pedestrians, and other road users at risk.

Zoomo Trade and Save Program

As an immediate initiative to support those impacted by the recent crackdown, Zoomo has also launched a trade-in program, offering riders a $400 credit to go towards a Zoomo e-bike, if you trade in your illegal bike which we will decommission and recycle. Our e-bikes are compliant with current regulation, fit for purpose and safe for use on public roads. We believe this approach could be a model for a broader publicly funded trade-in approach to help take more illegal bikes off the street. 

We care about rider safety. With a large portion of Zoomo riders working in the gig economy, we want to do everything we can to ensure rider safety remains front of mind in everything we do. 

But you might be asking yourself, how do I know if I am riding an illegal e-bike? Well, we’ve got you covered… 

How to Identify an Illegal E-bike

There are a number of red flags you should look out for when trying to determine if your e-bike is noncompliant and safe for street use, this includes assessing the following: 

1. Throttle powered (pedaling not required) 
2. Motor unlimited to more than 25km per hour 
3. Low-quality brakes - increased risk of injury or death
4. Exposed and non-certified batteries - high risk of water damage and battery fires
5. Weak lighting systems

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We are committed to putting the dignity of the courier first, working with delivery partners to ensure that riders like yourself have access to the best tools, including auto grade e-bikes built with safety front-of-mind, rider training and safety equipment. Our flexible rental plans also help make our e-bikes more accessible.

If you’re looking for electric bike hire, what are you waiting for? Avoid fines, trade in your bike for $$, ride safely, and earn more with Zoomo.

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We also shared our thoughts with Yahoo! News about what else we think needs to be done to prevent illegal and dangerous e-bikes on our roads. Check it out here. 

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