Aussie regulators ambush MABers. Uncle Sam (& others) – we need YOUR COMMENTS!

[HybriDude]

12 months in the making, New South Wales' Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has put out a proposal to regulate power-assisted pedal cycles such that motorized bikes would be prohibited.

The RTA discussion paper is full of holes big enough to drive tanks through. It is dishonest and flawed because it compares power-assisted pedal cycle (PAPC) legislation in several countries, but fails to address the fact that PAPC regulations co-exist with motor-assisted pedal cycles (MABs) in many places. The RTA proposal effectively stands for underpowered PAPCs and no MABs.

Why don't you have some fun finding the holes in the discussion paper and get them to us so we can give the public the truth about international situation regarding PAPCs and MABs?

I've attached a PDF of the RTA discussion paper. You can stitch the 5 word documents into a text only version to make copy and paste easier.

 

[HybriDude]

What is Federal position in USA?

Extract from RTA paper

General Comments
Firstly, this Paper is looking specifically at PAPC and is not investigating the practicality of power-assisted cycles without pedals. These vehicles are currently considered as mopeds, however Jurisdictions may wish to develop a new category for powered assisted cycles without pedals.

Secondly, the proposed definition for discussion has a similar form to the current definition as it refers to the term ‘pedal cycle’, but defines it in square brackets to avoid the requirement to read two definitions in conjunction to fully understand what is a PAPC. The agreed definition should be less likely to create confusion, convey the stakeholders’ understanding of what is a PAPC and facilitate enforcement.

Thirdly, this Paper is based on current technology and the investigation of the requirements in other countries. A list of these requirements is presented in Appendix B.

Is there a need to pedal to obtain assistance from the motor?

Objective: To make sure that PAPCs are fundamentally pedal cycles, vehicles designed to be propelled through a mechanism solely by human power, to which is attached one or more auxiliary propulsion motors.

It strikes me that there is typically 2 tiers to pedal-assisted pedal cycles (PAPCs):

Lightly power-assisted bicycles that require no regulation; and
Heavily power-assisted bicycles such as that motor-assisted bicycles that are regulated to some degree.

Could someone point me in the right direction as to what is the Federal position?

 

[BoltsMissing]

Could someone point me in the right direction as to what is the Federal position?

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/law/transportlaw.htm#roads

 

[heathyoung]

ADR's ARE Federal. They are design regulations, most of our ADRs are lifted from the European ECE standard.