Maximum age limit lifted to 13 for cyclists riding on footpaths
Changes to Victoria’s road rules have lifted the maximum age for cyclists using walking paths, but should the restriction follow other states and be lifted for everyone?
VIC News
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More cyclists will be able to ride on Victorian footpaths after changes were made to the road rules overnight.
From Tuesday, the maximum age for children who can ride a bike on walking paths will be raised from under 12 to under 13.
Anyone 13 or over will also now also be able to accompany children in a bid to let older siblings and friends of young children ride safely together.
Adults carrying children on their bike will also be included in the rule changes.
But the state’s peak cycling body has hit out at the changes because they do not go far enough.
Bicycle Network’s general manager of public affairs, Anthea Hargreaves, said there should be no age limit written into the rules.
“Victoria will continue to be the state with the most draconian footpath riding laws and has missed an opportunity to instantly make bike riding safer for everyone,” she said.
“Daniel Andrews won’t let people make the decision to ride on the footpath and won’t legislate minimum passing distance laws.
“People who ride bikes think the Premier doesn’t care about them.”
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New South Wales has a maximum age of 15 for footpath riding but other states have no maximum limit.
“Instead of making real change, a lot of time and taxpayer money will be wasted on a minuscule change that still says if you’re a high school student you belong on the road,” Ms Hargreaves said.
“Letting people choose to ride on the footpath isn’t going to turn Bourke Street into a velodrome, it’s about enabling people who work or live on roads like Punt Road, Alexandra Parade or Bell Street to ride a bike.”