Duncan Gay, the NSW Roads minister, is at pains to limit the potential fun to be had from cycling.
We're still waiting for his demolition of the College Street cycleway but in the meantime,
... in his latest cycling treatise on how to remove cyclists from our roads,
... he has come up with a truly hare-brained idea.
Yes ... he is planning a proposal that insists people who use bicycles over a certain age carry identification papers/plastic.
Hands up who advised him!
Actually hands up who voted for him!
Or did he just get helicopted into his seat as a consequence of proportional representation in the upper house?
Whatever, it's such a shame we have him at the helm of our NSW road system.
It's flawed enough without adding Duncan to the mix.
He embodies the very concept of privilege and oppression on our roads and treats those of us who use bicycles as second class citizens.
He puts us in danger because he is not mindful of us road-users who don't require petrol to move through the street & roads of NSW.
The cycling world cannot get its head around our transport leaders' tilt at improving our cities ... take Carlton Reid, British author and historian, from Bike Biz for example, he was absolutely gob-smacked when we chatted (starts at 1:16:40) about Duncan at VeloCity15.
Sigh ... I wish I was still in France or Italy (ie Torbole, Lago di Garda, where these photos were shot) ... or anywhere else but here.
This nonsense has to stop. On every policy setting, Australia is an global outlier. A backwater to the extent that I never thought possible. I was following a massive 4wd the other day with a sticker "Australia.... if you don't like it, leave". Seriously thinking of taking that advice.
ReplyDeleteYup I'm with you, anonymous! The more this madness continues the harder it is to face the shame of living here and being part of this system. I think that's what really gets to me is that all these fossil-fuel-loving politicians have been voted in by my peers - chilling stuff.
DeleteSue, don't know if you've heard but there is going to be a Senate Committee hearing into: Personal choice and community impacts.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Personal_choice
Helmets are one of the issues that will be looked at.
Spread the word and let's get lots of quality, smart submissions.
Regards, LSS
Thanks, Lindy, I have heard about the Senate committee into the Nanny State ... and I'm giving it some thought. I have to say I'm a little bit troubled by some of the other issues to be discussed and don't want to be associated with them ... sigh ... I am thinking about it though!
ReplyDeleteBut you have to have your voice heard Sue. I don't think making a submission to a Senate committee associates you with other issues they might be looking at. To date, 95% of submissions have been opposing MHLs.
DeleteThis never ends: http://momentummag.com/cycling-helmet-laws-debate/#comment-3077
ReplyDeleteAnd just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFn7oJSUh9M Diary of a bike. Just some mates having fun cycling together in Paris, Amsterdam, and some warmer place (probably Brazil, Santanna's country).