Let escooters stick to the ‘obstacle course’

CYCLING and riding escooters are fun ways of exercising and moving around the city.

However, because of bad planning and lack of safety requirements, Dunedin has many cyclists and several escooter riders flouting all safety rules.

Some are virtually riding wherever it pleases them with no thought of safety for pedestrians nor for themselves.

If I was young, I would probably be doing the same things as anything goes and there are no rules or penalties.

However, cars, buses and trucks are still essential modes of transport for many people, and drivers should not be penalised simply because they drive and require parking areas. Noone wants to dodge concrete blocks, pedestrians, cyclists or escooter riders as they drive through our city.

An $8 million cycle obstacle course has been built through SH1, a bus hub is being developed, some streets have been closed and many other roadways are now being changed — there are orange cones everywhere.

Recently, I attended a meeting organised by the Visual Impairment Charitable Trust and Lynley Hood.

When questioned about why the council had allowed free access to escooters, Cr O’Malley said permission was granted not by councillors, but rather by someone who worked for the council. This seemed unusual, and I notice that Wellington councillors are in the process of making sensible rules for escooters, taking into account the safety of both pedestrians and scooter riders.

At the same meeting, a university lecturer wondered why it was necessary for cars to be driving through George St. The reason is quite clear — car drivers and cyclists use George St because SH1 is often oneway, with long queues, and people are finding a safer and quicker method of getting through the city.

I don’t like the SH1 obstacle course at all, but now that it is there, all cyclists and escooter riders should use it. Bernice Armstrong

Opoho

[Abridged]

Venezuela

HAVING come of age in the US during the Vietnam years, I am fully aware of its many failings, and I am particularly upset by the current Administration.

However, after a quick read of Paul Martin’s letter (ODT, 4.2.19), it appears that according to him Venezuela has become a victim not of its own actions, but of US capitalist greed.

First, the current Government of that benighted country has not been ‘‘duly elected’’. There hasn’t been a valid election since Maduro has been running the country.

The Guardian has called the country a slowmotion disaster. It was once the richest, most prosperous nation in

Latin America. It is now vying with Haiti for the poorest and all due to the policies of the Chavez/Maduro regime.

As for the ‘‘free health and welfare’’ once provided by the government, it no longer exists.

The US does not need oil as it has become a net exporter due to new developments.

Where was the compensation when the industry was nationalised by Chavez? His populist giveaways early in his administration ruined the economy and created the current crisis.

It has been my experience since visiting Latin America in the 1960s and through the years that the US is the favourite whipping boy, always portrayed as the bully and blamed by incompetent governments for their problems.

But the current drive for regime change in Venezuela is being driven by the Lima group, formed not by the US but by Canada with its partners in

South America. This US Administration, among its other demonstrations of incompetence, has been largely absent until recently.

Sorry, Mr Martin, your antiUS screed is off the mark on this issue.

Kevin Burke

Mosgiel

[Abridged] .....................................

BIBLE READING: Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a neverfailing stream! — Amos 5:24.