In New South Wales, a cyclist has vented their frustration on social media after being fined while trying to report an alleged close pass by a motorist. News.com.au reported that the rider sent bike camera footage of the incident to police only to be issued an infringement notice for failing to ride as close to the left-side of the road as possible. The video, which has been posted to Facebook, shows the driver of an SUV coming within centimetres of the rider while overtaking on a road marked with double white lines.
A cyclist has been fined for breaching coronavirus restrictions in Melbourne after he was caught riding after 9pm in Dandenong. As News.com.au reported, the man was issued a $1652 fine for riding after curfew. He was reportedly not wearing a face mask or bicycle helmet. The man allegedly told police that he had “fallen asleep at a friend’s house”.
A Melbourne woman is appealing to the public for financial assistance after she claims she was hit by a cyclist leaving her with a $25,000 dental bill. According to News.com.au, the 24-year-old was left with “facial fractures, missing teeth, a broken arm, severe concussion, memory loss and multiple bruises and lacerations” after the rider collided with her on a shared footpath earlier this month. The woman’s family are calling for cyclists to be required to have registration and insurance, and for Victoria’s traffic accident compensation system to cover such incidents.
In infrastructure news, Willoughby Council on Sydney’s North Shore has expressed support for a planned 3.3km bike path between Chatswood and St Leonards. The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday that the path would follow the north shore rail line and that sections would be fully separated. However, opponents have already panned the proposed route saying the removal of 23 parking spaces would “deter shoppers from visiting the area”.
A pop-up cycling lane in Sydney has been declared “unsafe” by a report commissioned by a residents group opposed to the development. According to The Daily Telegraph, locals crowd-funded to pay for the report which alleges that 26 sections of the lane are a significant risk for “serious or catastrophic injury to cyclists or pedestrians”. Speaking with The Sydney Morning Herald, residents expressed concern that the decision to build the lane had been “political” and that very few riders had made use of the route. Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Scully justified the project by pointing out that a survey of over 500 residents showed 80 per cent approval for the cycling lane.
Pedalling for Change 