Victoria’s decision not to introduce an e-bike registration regime following a coronial recommendation is prompting scrutiny from transport and insurance stakeholders, particularly those focused on liability, consumer protection, and commercial delivery risk.
In July 2025, Coroner Audrey Jamieson recommended that the Victorian government examine “methods to identify non-compliant e-bicycles, including those which may seem radical – such as requiring the registration of all e-bicycles” after investigating the death of rider Nitin Haldipur Prabhu, who had been using a non-compliant e-bike.
In its formal response to the Coroner’s Court, the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP), alongside Victoria Police, did not support the introduction of an e-bike registration scheme. DTP acting executive director Fiona Green said registration “is not being actively considered at this time” because it “would be costly and may be a major disincentive to riding, consequently discouraging active transport.” The state will therefore continue to apply existing road rules, design standards, and enforcement tools rather than create a dedicated registration system for most e-bikes, including those widely used in app-based food and parcel delivery.
The Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) has argued that the current stance does not fully address the enforcement challenges highlighted in the coronial findings, particularly in relation to high-powered e-bikes in commercial use. VACC CEO Peter Jones (pictured) said: “A coroner made this recommendation following a death. The government has rejected it. We believe that’s a tragic missed opportunity to prevent future deaths. The government says this is ‘too hard and too costly.’ That’s not good enough when lives are at stake.”
Jones cited Victoria Police’s acknowledgment that “identification remains a barrier” and that frontline officers find it “difficult … to detect non-compliant e-bicycles.” While e-bikes that exceed 250 watts and 25 km/h are already treated in law as motor vehicles and are technically required to be registered, police noted there is no practical way to enforce this for many delivery vehicles. “Both Victoria Police and the Transport Department acknowledge identification is the key problem, but they’ve rejected the solution that would fix it. Victoria Police say, ‘identification remains a barrier’ – registration would remove that barrier,” Jones said.
VACC has stressed that its proposed registration approach is aimed at commercial delivery fleets rather than casual or recreational riders. “This isn’t about recreational riders or discouraging active transport – it’s about commercial delivery operations using vehicles that operate like motorcycles,” Jones said.
The coronial case has also drawn attention to how well consumers understand e-bike classifications and the line between compliant and non-compliant products, an issue that intersects with product liability, personal accident cover, and disputes involving illegal modifications. DTP’s response noted that Prabhu “apparently did not know that he had purchased a non-compliant e-bicycle, which demonstrates the need to ensure safe devices are being sold to consumers.” Jones said: “Even the government admits Mr Prabhu didn’t know his e-bike was illegal. Registration would protect consumers and enable enforcement.”
To support its position, VACC points to research conducted with Monash University in May 2025, which observed more than 27,000 two-wheeled vehicles at eight inner-Melbourne locations with high traffic volumes. Delivery e-bikes accounted for 47% of the vehicles recorded.
Only 4% of delivery e-bikes were seen being pedalled, which the report suggests may reflect throttle use or modifications that place the vehicles outside legal e-bike parameters. Recorded speeds reached 54 km/h, and about one in five riders exceeded the 25 km/h limit; at some locations, this rose to roughly one in three. Swanston Street in Carlton and Swan Street in Richmond were identified among the busiest corridors, while Elizabeth and King streets saw riding on footpaths and against traffic direction.
By comparison, Zoomo-branded e-bikes identified in the study were pedalled almost half the time, travelled at lower average speeds, and were not observed breaching the 25 km/h limit during the period of monitoring. Jones said the findings suggest that many delivery e-bikes “are functioning as unregistered motorbikes without the same regulatory requirements or enforcement as other vehicles.” He added: “We need consistent standards, proper compliance checks, and enforcement in known hotspots to keep all road users safe.”
