Australian ex-politician stirs up cycling controversy
Jonathon Harker Nov 13 2009, 1:16pm
Scully: ‘Cyclists do not have the same rights as motorists’
Carl Scully, former minister for roads for New South Wales, Australia has created heated debate with an article in the daily Melbourne broadsheet The Age.
In the column, Scully said that cycling on busy roads was ‘profoundly unsafe’ and that he’d like to see cyclists banned from riding on busy roads during busy periods.
He said: “I would be happy to see a ban during morning and evening peak times. Time-of-day cycling would ensure that our roads during peak periods are for the sole use of vehicles and not for the use of cyclists. If pedestrians and cyclists can share off-road cycle ways, then why not where appropriate, share footpaths?
“Local councils would have to step up and start building much wider footpaths and cyclists would need to take greater care of pedestrians.”
The ex-roads minister noted that he had achieved much for cyclists: “I endeavoured, perhaps more than any other roads minister, to provide safe cycle ways and invested millions of dollars in the process.”
Scully emphasised his view that bikes and cars should not mix: “I made it quite clear that I believed riding a bike on a road was profoundly unsafe and that where I could I would shift them to off road cycle ways. I am still surprised as to how someone willingly gets on a bike and takes a huge risk with cars, trucks and buses, often travelling well over 80 km/h.
“That leaves cyclists very vulnerable. No one would suggest it is safe for pedestrians to be on the roadway, so why should it be any different if a pedestrian gets on a bike?”
“In rejecting the ‘we have a right to be on the road’ mentality of cyclists and their lobby groups, I also took a measured and balanced policy position on how best to separate bicycles and vehicles from our roads over time.
“Shifting cyclists off our roads or even banning them was neither fair nor entirely possible without providing off-road alternatives. I made a decision that all future major road infrastructure would be built with off-road cycle ways.”
In the column, the former roads minister praised the 40 km, off-road M7 cycle way, but went on to criticise ‘cynical’ cyclists: “I thought, and in fact assumed, that the cycling lobby would heap praise on the Government for this cycling Manna from heaven. Instead, I got roundly condemned for not building a cycle way that was flat and easy to train on.”
Scully also said that Australian cyclists should be more sensitive to the motoring public: “Apart from a negligible amount of GST on their equipment, cyclists pay nothing towards the cost of the roads they wish to use and rely on motorists to fund most of the cost of cycling infrastructure.”
Promoting everyday cycling three days a week (or more...)
The way I understand it NSW has a $13.5 mio budget for cycle paths, and the City of Sydney an additional $18 mio.
The principle of separating traffic based on speed is useful, and if there is a cycle path along side all the roads (perhaps shared with pedestrians in low volume situations), I could live with being banned from the road.
But then …. I am a slow cyclist.
Livibg in WA, it is difficult to comment on funding for roads in another state, but cyclists certainly help pay for the road system in WA.
The same percentage of my council rates that goes towards our road system is the same as that of my neighbours. I drive a motor vehicle about 7000km a year in my 1 car, my neighbours would possibly travel about 60,000 to 80,000 in their 4 cars for the same percentage of rates. As a cyclist who does about 6000km, I must be subsidising their use of the roads.
When I buy goods from local business I pay the same percentage of the transport costs as do motorists, I don’t get a discount because I am a cyclist.
People who do not pay for their use of our road system are those who have private use of company motor vehicles. If you support their business, then in part, you pay for their use of the roads.
I agree, Echidna39, it is pretty sad when a government minister does not realise how road funding works, and it takes away from the rest of his argument.
There’s no doubt that you have hit that just right. You’ve made some great points and I am delighted to find somebody with this particular mindset. You may have a couple of haters because of this, however I know you will live.