Risks posed by Halls Gap E-bikes have come under heavy scrutiny after one of the bikes slammed into a seven-year-old cyclist last week.
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The girl was riding on the bike path along Grampians Road when she was knocked to the ground by the controversial bike coming from the opposite lane. She sustained bruises and grazes from the incident.
Halls Gap Senior Constable Kelly Harris said police were investigating the incident and the amount of complaints received about the E-bikes.
“We are looking into this matter and speaking with other local agencies in regards to finding a solution,” she said.
Disgruntled residents have rallied together over the last two years in attempts to get the E-bikes banned from the community.
A petition calling to ban the bikes at Halls Gap has generated 200 signatures so far.
Halls Gap Ratepayers Association president Paul Turner said E-bikes were dangerous and a disturbance to the local community.
“This issue continues to come up at every Halls Gap Ratepayers Association meeting,” he said.
”We welcome the business, it is good for the town and the tourism it attracts, but the E-bikes are too fast, you can’t hear them coming because they are electric and the hooting of their horns annoys many of the locals.
“The community is against them for that reason – we just want better governing of their speeds and the horns to be replaced but the E-Bikes operator won’t listen.”
A Halls Gap resident who wished to remain anonymous said the latest accident was bound to happen.
“The speeds they reach on the pathway are unsuitable – they go up to 40km/h, I have logged it and many others have too,” they said.
“The bike weighs about 50kg and a person on it would weigh the same or more, so imagine that much weight slamming into a child – there could be a fatality and is only a matter of time before this happens.”
The resident called on immediate action from the Northern Grampians Shire Council.
“If council can create a bylaw which bans cats at Halls Gap, surely they can do the same to ban these E-bikes and protect this community.”
Northern Grampians Shire chief executive Michael Bailey said E-bikes were an ongoing issue over a number of years, and the issue continued to increase as the town popularity increased.
“Unfortunately the bikes as per the specifications of the E-bikes at Halls Gap are defined as bikes – for that reason we are unable to put in a local law as the state laws around road safety supersede it,” he said.
“We are working with all the agencies which will see signs installed to hopefully assist, the safety of our community is paramount and we are doing all within our power and authority.
“Through ongoing conversations with our local member we believe we are together getting towards a resolution.”
Halls Gap E-bikes Hire owner Stuart Riddiford did not deny last week’s accident had occurred.
“You should be focusing on the thousands of people who have had a good ride, rather than just the one accident,” he said.