‘Cyclists, ring your bells’

Press, 25 February 1977, Page 21

‘Cyclists, ring your bells’

ft is time that cyclists 1 begin ringing their own bells, j according to cycling enthusiast, Mr Peter McDonald, ofi Auckland. Mr McDonald, a member • of the Friends of the Earth, organisation, is in Christ-' church to help run “Bicycle Week.” He said that there were many sympathetic I people in official positions; who needed the support of a vocal bicycle lobby to work] effectively for better cyclisg. I Mr McDonald is work ng on a bicycle campaigners’. manual. “Changing Gear,’ to' help and encourage lobbyists: to do just that. It should be! published in a few mmthsi

;and will include information,i : gathered during "Bicycle[ f Week.” which he finds ajs valuable experience. '1 I “There is a lot of theoreti-i r ;cal support for more bike; ■facilities but people are noth going to push it unless they 1 1 know there is a demand,” [ ( i said Mr McDonald. 1[ j “People have to lobby their; J | local authorities and let them L know. After all. the general IJ ; public subsidised car users . (£1 for every mile in England in 1973 and the situation here must be similar.” < I Mr McDonald said that < i New Zealand’s dependence ■ t lon imported fuel was the [1 ■ highest in the world for I ’ I motor spirits. This, along!!

.with increasing traffic congestion and pollution, was a strong case for a return to bicycles as a healthy, nonpolluting form of transport. After finishing his manual, Mr McDonald plans to press the Government for more official recognition of the bicycle's values. He sees a need for generally accepted safety rules for cyclists which could be promoted through the road code. “Present riding strategies are designed to keep cyclists out of the traffic flow rathei ' than considering their needs,’ [he said. “The road code where it applies to bikes, is inadequate,”