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Monday, April 19, 2010

Bike Share + Helmet Share = FAILURE

How are the Australian bike-share programmes going to succeed when our law requires helmeted behaviour?

The magic of the Parisienne Vélib’ is the ability to make snap decisions - fancy a bicycle? - let's grab one & cycle away!!- heady stuff!!! - 'découvrez les sites de Paris'

But just picture our reality, here in Australia: will it be a question of 'découvrez les sites de Brisbane et Melbourne'??? hmmmn I don't think so!!!

Mandatory helmet laws will literally kill "spur-of-the-moment decisions to use a bike". Yet relevant state transport ministers seem blissfully oblivious to the need to counter our ridiculous helmet law, and continue with blinkered advice that:

* regular users should bring their own helmets
* helmet buying options will be provided
* helmet hiring options will be provided

Who would opt for any of the above and especially the latter option? How could you ever know whether the user before you had nits or not, or had some ghastly contagious scalp disease, or had dropped the helmet many times, or cycled over it or used it as a footie ball? You can't - groan!!!- why is this so hard to grapple with??!!!!

It works in other cities for one very simple reason - they do not have to contend mandatory helmet laws.

(...it truly isn't 'rocket science!...)

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