A 73-year-old man from Victor Harbor has been arrested in relation to an assault late last month. The man is alleged to have been riding his bike along a footpath when he threatened a woman in her 70s and rammed her, knocking her to the ground and causing serious injury. Police told The Victor Habor Times that a tip off from members of the public had assisted them in making the arrest. The cyclist was granted bail and will face court in November.
In Canberra, a man has been hit by a car in the Inner North after falling off his bike in an intersection. As The Canberra Times reported on Sunday, the cyclist had been riding southbound on Northbourne Avenue when he came off his bike and was hit by a small SUV. The driver of the SUV failed to stop and render assistance and left the scene of the crash. Police are asking for witnesses or those with dash-cam footage for assistance in their inquiries.
Major political parties are making big promises on cycling infrastructure in the lead up to the territory elections next month. The Canberra Liberals have announced that if elected they will allocate $5 million to improve cycling facilities and make the entire cycle path network “road free” by the end of the decade. As the Riot Act reported, this would include the rollout of public change rooms and bike storage facilities near major stops and public transport interchanges.
In other news, the City of Fremantle has opened a new protected cycle route on Ord Street near the CBD. The council announced that the new bike lane was built in consultation with local cycling groups and would provide a safe route for cycling along a key route in the city. In a press release, Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said he had seen “a huge increase” in cycling participation during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the city wanted to build on that by making cycling safer.
Pedalling for Change 