A child has been handcuffed by police after allegedly riding an e-bike along Surfers Paradise beach on the Gold Coast. Video filmed by an onlooker shows two boys, aged 12 and 15, standing beside high-powered electric bikes on the sand on Sunday afternoon as two officers confront them. One child is then seen being turned around, his hands placed behind his back, and handcuffed.
The footage has spread rapidly online, with reactions split between those who believe police went too far and others who argue stronger action is overdue. “They’re only kids, that’s a bit heavy handed,” one viewer wrote. Another commented, “Bit extreme handcuffing a kid,” while others supported the officers’ response amid concerns about fast, powerful e-bikes being used in public spaces. “The weight of that thing would end most of you if it hit you on the sidewalk. Imagine how you’d feel if your kid was the one knocked down,” wrote one supporter. Another added, “It’s better to be harsh now, rather than dead,” and a third said, “Good, about time. Now send the parents a whopping fine,”
Queensland Police allege the boys were riding in a way that put others at risk. A police spokesperson said, “Police are investigating the dangerous operation of an electric motorbike at Surfers Paradise on 29 March,” and alleged that “around 11.50am, two boys were riding unregistered, uninsured electric motorbikes on the beach in a dangerous manner.” The spokesperson added, “Police intercepted the 12-year-old and 15-year-old boys.”
The incident comes just days after the Queensland government announced sweeping safety reforms, including a ban on children under 16 using e-bikes and e-scooters. The changes are part of a package of 28 recommendations to be rolled out across the state following a parliamentary inquiry into rider and public safety.
Under the proposed rules, riders aged 16 and over will need a licence to use e-bikes and e-scooters, footpath speeds will be capped at 10km/h, and more powerful devices capable of exceeding 25km/h will require a motorbike licence and compulsory third-party insurance. Police will also gain new powers to seize and destroy illegal vehicles, while retailers who sell unlawful bikes and scooters will face tougher penalties.
The inquiry was prompted by a sharp rise in harm, with more than 6000 reported injuries linked to the devices across Queensland between 2022 and 2025. The Queensland cabinet endorsed the response this week, with Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg saying, “From the start, we said we would deliver nation leading reforms and get dangerous e-scooters and e-bikes off Queensland streets,” He said, “We are banning under 16s from these devices because the safety of kids is paramount.” He also added, “We’ve taken the time to get this right, and our reforms strike the right balance between keeping Queenslanders safe from those who do the wrong thing, while backing the Queenslanders who do the right thing.”
E-bikes and e-scooters have surged in popularity in recent years, becoming common on roads, in parks and along suburban footpaths. Disturbing videos circulating online have shown young riders weaving through traffic, darting between vehicles and confronting pedestrians.
The push for reform follows multiple fatal incidents. The inquiry, put forward in May last year, came after 14 people died in electric vehicle-related incidents in Queensland in 2025, with NSW and Victoria recording five deaths in total, according to reports. In recent days, two boys aged 14 and 15 were killed when their petrol-powered bikes crashed into a bus on a restricted transitway in Sydney’s west. Weeks earlier, a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy died after being struck by a Harley Davidson while riding e-bikes in Brisbane’s south. On New Year’s Eve, Lucas Reid, 15, who survived the Tasmania jumping castle tragedy in 2021, died when his e-bike collided with a powerpole in Devonport.
