Breaking the cycle
Road tension is bubbling up between errant cyclists and the few Kiwis left driving and walking the streets.
It comes as confusion reigns over the definition of staying ‘‘local’’ for bikers, as the country nears its halfway point for the coronavirus lockdown. And as some cyclists enjoy unprecedented freedom on the streets.
Patrick Morgan, from the Cycling Action Network, said debate had already surfaced online about cyclists taking up the country’s streets.
The network supported the Government’s directives that people are allowed out of their homes for exercise in their local area.
However, he said the advice was ‘‘far from clear’’ on what local exactly meant. Nobody in the Government seemed to be able to say, ‘‘so people are making up their own minds about things’’.
Last week in Auckland, one cyclist was caught clocking up a 76-kilometre joyride around the city. And even Health Minister David Clark has found himself caught up in the confusion, after being admonished by his prime minister for driving 2 kilometres for a ride on a nearby mountainbiking trail.
Morgan said interpretation of the rules varied from person to person, and from location to location. ‘‘Given the lack of clear guidelines from the Government, it’s no surprise people have a range of opinions.’’
That said, Morgan reckoned the ‘‘vast majority’’ of cyclists were abiding by the rules. ‘‘We also note that cycling is often a lightning-rod issue. It’s the focus of discussion. Last week it was surfers copping some of [the] comment, this week it seems to be [cyclists].’’
A police spokesperson said officers were asking people to stay local and not do anything that could risk injury or require search and rescue. They took on that risk on Sunday, when a mountainbiker broke their leg near Wellington’s Brooklyn wind turbine.
Morgan said cycling was a massively popular activity, done by more than a million New Zealanders. Most people, he said,
didn’t have a problem with cyclists. ‘‘There’s a vocal minority who just want to have a go at someone . . . Cycling represents a challenge to the dominance of business as usual, so it’s no surprise that cycling is often the focus of online discussions. We call it ‘bikelash’.’’
Morgan said the lockdown was offering a glimpse at how New
Zealand’s streets could operate differently, ‘‘free from the dominance of motor traffic’’.
The network was advocating for further speed limit cuts during the lockdown, as he said some motorists were ‘‘taking it as a licence to speed ... and that’s unacceptable.’’
The Health Ministry was unable to clarify rules for cyclists.