Local Police Crack Down on Cronulla eBike Riders in Bold Attempt to Reclaim Mall and Esplanade from Chaos

Riley Corbett | Crimes Reporter | Sutherland Shire Gazette

24 July 2025

CRONULLA - A cautious cheer has emerged from over-30s and cavoodles across the Shire this week, as NSW Police begin a coordinated blitz on the rising tide of unregistered e-bikes blitzing Cronulla Mall and Esplanade.

What was once a sleepy coastal stroll has gradually morphed into what one witness called “a Mario Kart warm-up lap powered by adolescent entitlement and lithium-ion batteries.”

The operation, a response to the proliferation of unregistered e-bikes weaving silently through pedestrian zones, aims to curb what authorities are diplomatically calling “vehicular entitlement disguised as active transport.”

“It's not that we’re against bikes,” said one senior officer. “We’re just against private vehicles travelling at 40km/h through a family brunch zone with no brakes, no helmets, and no discernible plan beyond vaguely ‘heading to Yogurberry.’”

Police have issued multiple warnings and penalties, and introduced double demerits for riders wearing White Fox hoodies, wolf cuts and modern mullets, citing “optics” and “aesthetic overconfidence” as aggravating factors.

Parents of teen riders are reportedly divided - some feign surprise their child owns a motorised vehicle, others have threatened legal action if officers touch “the only reason Bodhi ever leaves the house.”

Long-time residents have expressed cautious optimism. “It’s nice to walk down the Mall without feeling like an unpaid extra in a dystopian scooter commercial,” said Elaine, 59, whose reusable shopping tote was reportedly sideswiped by a Year 9 student on a fat-tyre e-cruiser.

Still, tensions linger. One rider, age 14, posted on Reddit that the crackdown is “a breach of mobility rights,” while his mother added she might finally get the bike back to use for getting to Pilates.

Whether this signals a broader reclamation of public space, or just a temporary attempt to reassert adult authority in a world increasingly run by 13-year-olds with throttle control, remains to be seen.

Cronulla ebike