This memorial was removed six times. Then it came back on a trailer

A ghost bike is haunting the spot where Philip Pawsey was killed while cycling.

It was previously chained to a pole at the intersection of Long Street and Nudgee Road at Hendra, only to be removed by Brisbane City Council officers – six times.

The ghost bike memorial on Nudgee Road at Hendra has reappeared on the back of a legally parked trailer. There is a “No Standing” sign pointing the other way, and a bicycle stencil on the road, but the trailer is in a legal parking space.Credit: Felicity Caldwell

They had deemed the memorial to Pawsey, who died after a crash with a truck in May last year, a “safety hazard”.

But the ghost bike has now reappeared on the back of a legally parked trailer – and this time, there’s almost nothing the council can do about it.

White-painted bikes, or ghost bikes, have appeared in cities worldwide to mark the spot where a bike rider has been killed by a motorist, serving as a shrine in their memory, a message to drivers to take care, and also a silent call for better planning.

At the weekend, an unknown person parked a trailer, with a ghost bike on top, at the site. Although a bicycle image has been stencilled on the road, parking there is legal and unregulated – which means the council cannot remove it.

The original ghost bike was chained to a pole at the intersection with Long Street. Council deemed it a safety hazard.

As it stands, City Hall has no plans to remove parking or add separated bike lanes on that section of road.

Advocates called for car spaces to be removed on Nudgee Road in 2022, arguing sections of bike lanes appear and reappear, and the bike lane was often blocked by parked cars.

In response to a petition, the council said on-street car parking was valuable to residents and existing parking arrangements on Nudgee Road met a “suitable balance between all road users”, while cycling improvements would be considered.

Brisbane North Bicycle User Group co-convenor Stephen Wisenthal said removing ghost bikes set a dreadful precedent, but the real issue was the danger for people riding their bicycles on Nudgee Road, which was part of the principal cycle network.

Flowers remain affixed to the pole where the ghost bike was previously left.Credit: Felicity Caldwell

In September, Wisenthal wrote to LNP Hamilton ward councillor Julia Dixon about the removal of the original roadside memorial, which was erected the month before.

Dixon told him the council had not been consulted about the memorial.

“I am advised that council received concerns from local residents who witnessed the accident and found the roadside memorial deeply distressing,” she said.

Dixon said council officers did a site inspection on August 22 and determined the bike posed a safety hazard.

“The bike was parked very close to the road, reducing pedestrian visibility, and impeding sight lines, as well as creating a potential distraction for road users,” she said.

While the ghost bike was removed, council officers did not touch the flowers at the site.

Wisenthal said the original ghost bike was not a hazard, and was a reminder to drivers to be more careful.

“An even better memorial would be quick action to put separated bike lanes on Nudgee Road,” he said.

Ryan Murphy, council civic cabinet chair for transport, said any death on the roads was incredibly tragic, and his heart went out to Pawsey’s family and loved ones.

“Council is making record investment in active transport across the city and will continue to explore opportunities for future upgrades as part of our long-term network planning,” he said.

There have been at least 26 cycling incidents on Nudgee Road since 2001.

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