Modified e-bikes will be banned from a major rail network due to fire risks amid calls for tighter national restrictions on the devices after a spate of crash deaths.
Adult Victorian commuters will be fined more than $500 if caught with converted e-bikes on the state's metro and regional train services from December 21, while smaller fines will apply for minors.
Transport Minister Gabrille Williams said the ban targeted bikes with "after-market add-ons" not factory-built vehicles.
"They tend to be the products that present the greatest safety risk and that is why we want to ensure they're not being taken into settings where they could do particular harm," she said on Saturday.
The state had experienced a rise in modified vehicles with low-quality batteries that did not meet international safety standards, the government said.
The onus was on owners to ensure their devices were safe and compliant with all requirements under Victorian law.
The state's move follows that of NSW, which brought in a similar ban on its train and metro network in November.
The NSW government said the modified devices had been linked to incidents across the rail network and a growing number of battery-related fires.
Victorian firefighters have been responding to almost one fire a day caused by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
Increased public messaging and additional training for transport staff will be put in place before the new rules are enforced.
The regulations come against a backdrop of growing scrutiny of the safety risks posed by e-mobility devices, especially those that have been modified to operate at high speeds.
Queensland is considering a registration system after a spate of fatalities, a proposal the Victorian government has so far rejected as too costly and a disincentive to riding.
Independent federal MP Sophie Scamps has put forward a private member's bill in an attempt to enforce national standards for e-bikes, such as a 25km/h speed limit and anti-tampering protections.
Several states have called for federal leadership on the issue after e-bikes were carved out of road safety laws in 2021, a move that has been blamed for a spike in imports of potentially dangerous devices.
