Sydney- not safe on CBD footpaths even in broad daylight

Aug 27, 2012, 11:45 PM

Is what has happened in Sydney the same across the country? As an example – just one example - of the absence of law and order on the streets of Sydney, you’re not even safe on the footpaths in the CBD broad daylight.

When a correspondent complained in the Sydney Morning Herald that despite extreme caution, she and her dog nearly became “road kill” cyclist when crossing the infamous Bourke Street, Surry Hills, cycleway, one of the cyclist associations quoted statistics suggesting bicycle pedestrian collisions were extremely rare.

But as Donald Urquhart of Rozelle replied (27/8) “many pedestrians have simply given up on reporting such incidents....”

He says “.. the chances of identifying the offender are almost nil in light of the lack of ways of readily identifying the cyclist” .

He says the bicycle apologists “.. should spend some time in Sydney's CBD on any weekday...”

He complains about cyclists “riding through red lights, riding the wrong way on one-way streets and, most annoying and dangerous of all, riding illegally on footpaths.”

He concludes “It really is time that some protection is afforded to pedestrians.”

“While most cyclists behave sensibly, the small but growing number that do not must eventually lead to consideration of registration for all cyclists.”

Well most Sydney pedestrians would agree. It seemed better to me when I was in Melbourne recently.

Is it just that Sydney’s authorities can’t be bothered doing their jobs?