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Duncan Murray

Crackdown on rogue e-bike use set to calm frustrations

A state government is announcing measures to bring e-bike use to order. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

Councils will have the power to curb e-bike use in certain areas and enforce designated parking spaces, following a wave of community complaints.

Under changes announced by the NSW government on Tuesday, Sydney councils will be able to establish shared e-bike parking areas and penalise operators if the are not used.

Councils will also have the power to decide ''no-go'' and ''go-slow'' zones for shared and private e-bikes, as well as decide which operators can set up in their area.

Industry-funded grants of up to $200,000 can be applied for by councils to establish the new e-bike parking areas, under a $6.6 million program.

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John Graham says the action shows government has heard community members' frustrated cries. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)

Operators will fund the program through a 60 cent-fee paid to Transport for NSW on each shared e-bike trip.

More shared e-bike parking close to transport hubs such as train stations will also be rolled out by Transport for NSW, with plans for 250 bays by the end of the year.

While designated parking spaces are an Australian-first, most countries with shared e-bikes have already been forced to take similar measures to reduce clutter.

The action showed government had heard community members' frustrated cries, Transport Minister John Graham said.

''NSW has embraced e-bikes and shared e-bikes, which is a good thing, but we are not willing to stand around and let the wild west scenes we inherited go on any longer," Mr Graham said.

''We already know properly marked parking bays reduce kicked over bikes and blocked footpaths by half and now we want the 16 councils to provide them in the areas of most conflict and complaint."

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The governmnt says the new rules will help people using shared e-bikes to identify where to park. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray said shared e-bikes were a regular preferred transport choice for thousands of Sydneysiders.

The new rules will help people using shared e-bikes to identify where to park and allow councils and state government to tackle poor behaviours, he said.

"People want and need better places to park, and communities rightly expect shared e-bikes to be better managed," Mr Murray said.

The new rules build on a series of e-bike initiatives already introduced by the state government, including the power for police to seize and crush illegal, privately-owned e-bikes, and a designated strike force targeting dangerous e-bike and e-motorbike rideouts.

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