Cycling on footpaths may be allowed under planned rule changes
The government wants feedback on whether to change the rules to allow people to ride bikes on the footpath.
Options in the Transport Agency’s Accessible Streets consultation package released today include allowing everyone to ride on the footpath, or only people under 16, or to continue to ban it.
It’s part of a raft of possible changes including imposing a 15 km/h hour speed limit and a 75cm width limit on all wheeled transport using the footpath – including e-scooters.
Riders would have to give way to pedestrians and people in wheelchairs.
Other possible changes include imposing a minimum distance for vehicles when they overtake bikes, horses, e-scooters and other wheeled transport. Cars would have to allow a 1m gap when the speed limit is 60km/h or less, and 1.5m when going faster than that.
E-scooters, skateboards and other transport devices would be allowed to use bike lanes, but scooters would need front and rear lights and reflectors.
Vehicles would have to give way to buses pulling out of bus stops.
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RNZ: Hamish Cardwell, March, 9 2020
