Council’s bike complaint response angers resident
WHEN Andrew Morris saw a stack of rental bikes thrown onto the rocks near Malabar Beach he did what many would do and reported the incident to Randwick Council. The response left him fuming.
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ANDREW Morris is like many residents of Randwick City — proud to be living along one of the country’s most beautiful coastlines.
So when he saw a stack of rental bikes thrown onto the rocks near Malabar Beach he did what many would do and reported the incident to Randwick Council.
But their response has left him fuming.
“I was told it was my responsibility to chase them (the bike operators) up,” Mr Morris said.
“The lack of responsibility in taking care of our environment ... Lurline Bay is environmentally sensitive ... it’s just pollution.”
While Randwick Council is working on a 12-point plant to curb the number of bikes dumped across the city, it responded to Mr Morris by saying it “does not own or manage the dockless bikes”.
“We encourage all residents and others to contact the companies directly if they have an issues,” a council officer told him by email.
“I was a bit surprised by that,” Mr Morris said. I felt like she was placing it back on me.”
“Why don’t they regard abandoned bikes as illegal dumping? If any other business did it they’d be fined.”
Mr Morris is among a growing number of frustrated residents who feel the bike companies are being treated too leniently.
“Can I set up a surfboard share/rental bike business on the beaches now? ... What a joke,” Steve Jackson said on Facebook.
Randwick Council said it aimed to achieve a “balance” where bikes were available but also not left clogging up footpaths and driveways.