LYCRA OR LUMP IT
Cyclists say they’re doing the speed limit so it’s OK to ride in front of motorists
ANGRY DRIVER: They ride down the centre lane being idiots. Who are they to judge how fast I want to drive? They think they are bullet proof. Carpenter Matt Dennis
SENIOR TRAFFIC COP: Even though there is a cycling lane there are no requirements for (cyclists) to stay in the lane. They can ride two abreast and ride to the speed limit. Sergeant Hilton Buckley
The war between cyclists and motorists has reached a new level after a group of riders was filmed pedalling in front of a car along Hedges Ave, Mermaid Beach. The parties traded insults over who was in the wrong. One of the cyclists told the Bulletin they were doing the 30km/h speed limit so did not have to get out of the way of motorists. Police agree.
POLICE have defended a group of cyclists filmed riding in front of a car on a Gold Coast street.
The footage caused an uproar on gold coast bulletin. com.au yesterday, showing six cyclists hogging the popular Hedges Ave in Mermaid Beach and preventing Palm Beach carpenter Matt Dennis from passing.
The parties traded insults about who was in the wrong. The cyclists said they were doing the 30km/h speed limit and were entitled to be on the one-way road. Mr Dennis, and hundreds of readers at goldcoastbulletin.com.au disagreed, saying they were being “idiots”.
However, a senior traffic officer said the social riding group did nothing wrong.
Coomera Road Policing Unit Sergeant Hilton Buckley said motorists may be frustrated by cyclists on the road, but the riders were not breaking the law.
“Even though there is a cycling lane there are no requirements for them to stay in the cycling lane,” he said.
“They can ride two abreast and ride to the speed limit.
“Cyclists don’t need to give way to vehicles – they just need to obey the road rules.”
Sgt Hilton said cyclists should be treated like any other vehicle using the road and cars would just have to wait to pass.
The police officer said judging by images of the Hedges Ave incident, the riding group was obeying the rules.
Footage taken from the dash of Mr Dennis’ car shows him beeping at them repeatedly before frustration takes over and he yells at the group to get in the cycling lane, calling them a “bunch of (expletive)”.
“You guys are deadset (expletive) imbeciles aren’t ya,” he yells as he finally passed the group to which it retorted “it’s 30km/h mate”.
More than 80 per cent of respondents to a poll at goldcoastbulletin.com.au agreed.
Hedges Ave is one of the narrowest streets on the Gold Coast and consists of a single traffic lane and a dedicated cycling lane.
Mr Dennis told the Bulletin the incident with the cycling group was not isolated and he was frequently blocked by riding groups on Hedges Ave.
“They will ride down the centre lane just basically being idiots,” he said.
The speed limit on Hedges Avenue was cut to 30km/h in early 2015 in an effort to deter drivers from using the narrow street as a rat run.
“(Cyclists) are just constantly running red lights and stop signs – they are a law unto themselves,” Mr Dennis said of the city-wide tension between cyclists and motorists.
“They think they are 10 foot tall and bulletproof.”
One of the riders in the video, Adrian Ward, rejected Mr Dennis’ claims, saying the group followed the road rules.
“We weren’t making a point or trying to antagonise anyone,” Mr Ward said. “The truth is we were doing the speed limit and it’s safer to ride two abreast on the road than use the bike lane on the right.”
There were a number of pedestrians, including runners and mothers with prams, using the bike lane at the time of the incident, he said.
Mr Ward said the group judged it to be safer to wait to the end of the one-way section than to swerve into the bike lane.
Broadbeach councillor Paul Taylor said space on Hedges Ave had “always been an issue”.
Plans to upgrade and widen the street won’t be budgeted until after 2018, he said.
The Gold Coast City Council has been working to cater for the large number of cyclists seen on the roads.
The council has more than 1000km of cycle paths.