The title is from the article but doesn’t really cover the breadth of changes proposed. The key parts:
The government is proposing to make it legal to ride e-scooters in cycle lanes. It is part of its work to “fix the basics” in the New Zealand transport system, with consultation opening today on two packages for rule changes.
In the first package, the government is proposing to:
- Allow children up to age 12 (inclusive) to ride their bikes on footpaths, helping keep younger riders safer and reflecting common practice;
- Introduce a mandatory passing gap of between one and 1.5 metres, depending on the speed limit, to give motorists clearer guidance when passing cyclists and horse riders;
- Allow e-scooters to use cycle lanes;
- Require drivers travelling under 60 kilometres per hour to give way to buses pulling out from bus stops;
- Clarify signage rules so councils can better manage berm parking.
The second package relating to heavy vehicles proposes:
- Some permit requirements would be removed so rental operators can move empty high productivity motor vehicle truck and trailer combinations between depots and customers without unnecessary delays;
- Driver licence settings would be updated so Class 1 licence holders can drive zero-emissions vehicles with a gross laden weight up to 7500 kilograms, and Class 2 licence holders can drive electric buses with more than two axles with a gross laden weight up to 22,000kg;
- Signage requirements for load pilot vehicles would be made more practical;
- Overseas heavy vehicle licence holders would be able to convert their licences either by sitting tests or completing approved courses.
Most of the rules were already proposed and consulted on under the last government. Major difference is that all cyclists would have been able to use the footpath, not just children.
Unfortunately, it was yet another piece of legislation that was ready to be passed which Labour just sat on.
And a shame they slapped an age bracket on footpath pedalling
People get killed being hit by bikes occasionally so you can understand some hesitation, but I’m sure there could have been a reasonable compromise (e.g. a footpath speed limit).
Assuming there are no bike lanes, it should just be maths.
If the number of fatalities in car-bike collisions is more than the number of pedestrian-bike collisions then bike belong on the footpath.
This could be weighted by severity of injury instead of fatalities.
If there are bike lanes and scooters, then the matrix is just slightly larger but the maths still holds.
The point is to minimize, find the optimal solution rather than try to find the unrealistic perfect solution.