CYCLISTS: KEEP OFF

Michael from Trentham

The life-changing damage done to an elderly woman in the Nelson area a day or so ago by a cyclist peddling into her whilst she walked on a normal pedestrian footpath, strikes home the fact that cyclists must keep off the pavements and ride their bikes on the sides of the roads or in cycle lanes or on cycle tracks.

Cycling is illegal on footpaths in NZ apart from the likes of postal services and young children's bikes and trikes. But the laws or local council regulations regarding this are not enforced.

Pavements are for people walking and jogging, for people with dogs, for people in wheelchairs and for people who might be unstable or disabled.

Kids scooters, skate boards and roller skates are bad enough and don't get me "talking" about escooters which should be off everything.

There are as many nasty and thoughtless cyclists as there are drivers of vehicles on a proportional basis. At the very least cyclists should have warning bells or horns attached to their handle bars and operated loud enough for people of all sorts to hear.

I am a cyclist (with a racing bike and a rough surfaces bike), a motorist, a jogger, a hiker and a dog walker.