bicycles

The president of National Roads and Cyclists Association, Mr Alan Odds today called on the NRMA to stop inflaming the ongoing war between motorists and cyclists with their claim that cyclists do not belong on main roads in peak hour. Referring to the interview with NRMA president Alan Evans on ABC Radio's PM program this evening, Mr Odds said, “It would appear that NRMA policy, as articulated by its president, Alan Evans, is that cyclists should not be on main roads in peak hour Sydney because the mix of motorists and cyclists is unsafe.”

While public transport planning and upgrading continues to stagnate,
forms of personal transport are booming. Sales of new vehicles passed
the 1 million barrier in 2007 - 1.04 million new vehicles were sold to
increase the national car fleet to over 14 million, according to a
report in the Sydney Morning Herald. But Bicycle sales continue to
eclipse vehicle sales with a record 1.47 million bicycles sold in 2007
– outselling car numbers for the 8th consecutive year, according to the
Cycling Promotion Fund.

Related: Sydney Cyclist | NRMA attack on bikes bad move for all road users

"The RTA should not again give in to the NRMA's demands. In 2005 the
NSW government slashed bike and pedestrian funding by nearly two-thirds
of what it was. The current budget is only about $8 million, about 0.2
per cent of the roads budget.

"The Greens are calling for five
per cent of the RTAs budget to be allocated to cycling facilities and
for the restoration of the position of General Manager, Bicycles and
Pedestrians Branch of the RTA. This position was abolished when Mr
Michael Costa was Roads Minister