Riders demand lanes

Alex de Vos
Torquay cyclists and schools have called on Surf Coast Shire and Vicroads to introduce special bike lanes after reporting a spike in in the number of collisions between pedestrians and riders.
St Therese Primary School administrator Teresa Tucker said she wanted authorities to improve safety for cyclists after noticing more children were riding to school.
“Safety for kids riding to school has been raised a couple of times and is certainly an issue – we’ve got lots of people moving around and a bigger number of scooters and riders,” Ms Tucker said.
“We’ve had a few children run into pedestrians while they’ve been riding on the footpath, so if there were designated areas it would be a lot safer.”
A Torquay P-9 College spokesperson told the Independent the school had built a second bike shed because more students were riding to and from the campus.
“Car parking is not that good either, so we’re getting a lot more children riding to school,” the spokesperson said.
“We’d like to see riding (infrastructure) improved.”
Torquay Life Activities Club’s Ranate Haack said she had resorted to riding in Geelong because the town had nowhere safe for cyclists.
She was “disappointed” council and Vicroads had not addressed cyclists’ safety concerns.
“We need better facilities,” Ms Ranate said.
“There are no bike paths and bike lanes – it’s very dangerous.”
The call to improve riding facilities in Torquay follows the rejection of an application to build a bike path on Horseshoe Bend Road.
In April last year the Independent reported cyclists slamming Vicroads for knocking back Surf Coast Shire’s bid for a bike lane on the busy road.
Torquay cyclist John Randall said the road would remain “dangerous” without a bike lane.
“There is a definite need for a bike path,” Mr Randall said.
Vicroads regional director Duncan Elliot said the project was not a “high priority”, although it would be considered in the future.
Vicroads and the Surf Coast Shire did not return the Independent’s call for comment before the paper went to press.