Road Rules: Petition proposes allowing some cyclists on footpaths

New Zealanders are invited to have their say about a request to change the road rules to allow some cyclists to use footpaths.

The petition of Joanne Clendon is being considered by Parliament’s Transport and Industrial Relations Committee. It asks that the House of Representatives recommend a change to the New Zealand Road Rules to:
· allow cycling on the footpath by children under 14 years of age (and accompanying adults), seniors over the age of 65, and vulnerable users

· make bells mandatory for any bicycle used on footpaths or shared use paths

· allow local authorities to exclude, on a reasonable basis, certain areas of footpath from being used for cycling.

Under the current law under the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 “a person must not ride a cycle on a footpath or on a lawn, garden, or other cultivation forming part of a road.”

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