Crank‘n Cycles owner and Collie Mountain Bike Club President Erik Mellegers has stood by the WA Government’s decision allowing cyclists to ride on the footpath.
Mr Mellegers said the new rules correspond with cyclists’ behaviour and would not impact the community around them.
“My take on it is the law is catching up with what people have been doing for the last twenty to thirty years which is ride with their kids on the footpath,” he said.
“So I don’t think it is the massive change that the media are making it out to be, kids ride with their parents on the footpath all the time and the guys that race and mountain bike and all that sort of stuff aren’t going to ride on the footpath anyway.”
Mr Mellegers said cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians should all work together to share the roads and footpaths.
“If all the different road users, basically, are aware of each other – if cyclists don’t ride two and three abreast on a narrow road and cars are aware that on an open road cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast and not yell and throw cans at them – there is that bit of consideration that will go a long way,” he said.
“On the footpath, if you are a faster rider you are not going to want to ride on the footpath anyway so you will be cruising along with your kids and if there is a pedestrian then they both need to be aware of each other.”
Mr Mellegers said Collie hopes to maintain its long, proud history of cycling to promote a safe, relaxed public environment for everyone.
“We live in a town that is very aware of cycling, there is a strong history of cycling in Collie, and Shire work very closely together with the bike clubs so, in all honesty, there is not a big change from last week to this week,” he said.
Last week, the State Government made changes to the road traffic code 2000, allowing leisure cyclists, parents and kids to ride on the road and footpath.
Previous rules granted permission only for children 12 years or under to cycle on footpaths.
