Brisbane City Council’s Greens Cr Jonathan Sri takes cycling fine to court
Greens councillor Jonathan Sri has been slapped with a $400 cycling fine, but says he will challenge it in court.
Police & Courts
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Greens city councillor Jonathan Sri has vowed to fight a $400 traffic ticket in court.
The councillor for Brisbane’s Gabba ward was fined by police on January 26 for allegedly running a yellow traffic light on his bicycle in South Brisbane.
Cr Sri confirmed he was fined at the intersection of Stanley and Vulture streets while cycling home from an Invasion Day protest
The outspoken politician, who graduated from the University of Queensland with law and arts degrees, was initially fined $400, but has elected to take the matter to court.
“In Queensland, the road rules state that you must stop for a yellow light unless it’s not safe to do so,” he said.
“I’ll be explaining to the magistrate that considering the circumstances at that specific intersection at that time, it wasn’t safe for me to stop.”
Cr Sri said he would be asking to see the video evidence before entering a plea.
“It’s not the first time they’ve had a go at me as I’ve been heading home after a lawful protest,” he claimed.
“It’s a little frustrating when Queensland Police Service officers tell me they don’t have the resources to enforce rules about cars not giving way to pedestrians, or trucks speeding through residential side-streets, but apparently they do have the time to fine cyclists for running yellow lights.”
It’s not the only court matter Cr Sri has coming up after deciding to take on his own council over another fine.
Cr Sri said he was fined by Brisbane City Council for a protest against the federal government’s expansion of the cashless welfare card system in Queen St Mall.
He wrote on Facebook that the 15 minute protest occurred in September last year and involved five people.
In relation to the traffic matter Queensland Police said a 32 year old Woolloongabba man received an infringement notice for allegedly failing to stop for yellow traffic light before reaching the line.
The matter will come to Brisbane Magistrates Court on May 13.
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