Cycle trail section ‘hazardous’
The Rabbit Island leg of the Great Taste Trail has been left in a hazardous state during logging without sufficient signs warning of the dangers, a keen social cyclist says.
Every Thursday, Peter O’Halloran and his 30-strong cycle group Wheels to Meals cycle the Great Taste Trail - part of the national cycleway - from the Mapua ferry.
Two weeks ago, after cycling ‘‘no more than 500 metres,’’ one of the group had a serious crash and was badly hurt.
O’Halloran said this was the result of the dangerous state the track was left in after logging on the island.
‘‘The recent logging activities on both of the two cycle tracks on Rabbit Island have created really hazardous terrain for cyclists.
‘‘The track has been cut up by heavy machinery and there’s now deep sand and holes, so it’s quite dangerous to ride,’’ he said.
O’Halloran called the Tasman District Council (TDC) that afternoon to inform the council.
The track ‘‘at least needs some decent signage’’ to alert cyclists to the changed conditions.
At the time, there was only a single sign at one end of the track.
He described the sign as a ‘‘very small, crudely handwritten piece of whiteboard.’’
O’Halloran said the response to his complaint, and to another he lodged three months ago, made him think the council didn’t care enough for the safety of cyclists.
‘‘I just feel that the TDC has a very laissez-faire attitude towards the safety of cyclists, even though the Great Taste is almost a world famous cycle trail.’’
‘‘I can’t find anybody there [at the TDC] that want’s to talk to me,’’ he said.
The cycle group returned to the track on Thursday, and found conditions had not improved, and no other signs had been put up.
Chris Choat, the TDC communi- cations adviser, said the contractor, PF Olsen, had been notified of the complaint.
The logging has now been completed, and the last work to be done would be setting the cycle track back to its previous condition.
Choat said the park was a working park and access was ‘‘not something that we like losing ... but occasionally it will happen’’.
Choat said there had been a ‘‘bit of a fall-over’’ in this case, but ’’normally we put signage on all the paths that are affected‘‘.
‘‘Part of the resolution is informing the people that the resolution has, in fact, taken place.’’
Choat said the track should be back to normal condition in a matter of days.
‘‘We’ve made it clear [to the contractor] that this needs to happen as soon as possible.’’