Headline: Greens back Coroner’s call for cycling inquiry
“We can adopt a better vision for road safety – one which aims to achieve a transport system with no fatalities or serious injuries.”
The Green Party supports the final recommendation made by Coroner Gordon Matenga for an inquiry into cycling safety.
The Coroner released his Coronial Review into Cycling Safety in New Zealand today. His single recommendation is for the NZTA to convene an expert panel and come up with a list of recommendations to improve cycle safety and prevent further injuries and fatalities.
“We support the Coroner’s findings that one fatality on the roads is one too many,” said Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter.
“We can adopt a better vision for road safety – one which aims to achieve a transport system with no fatalities or serious injuries.
“Ideally, the inquiry would be held at a higher level than within the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).
“NZTA are poorly qualified or resourced to protect the safety of people who cycle. They currently spend less than one percent of their $3 billion budget on cycling and employ only a handful of people to work in this area.
“The NZTA are singularly focused on one outcome – delivering National’s expensive motorway projects.
“The huge revival of interest in cycling means it deserves a full public inquiry. Cycling is good for people and has massive flow on health and congestion benefits.
“The death of fourteen people at Cave Creek prompted a major public inquiry. Around fifteen cyclists are dying each and every year – a majority through no fault of their own.
“Britain recently held a cross-parliamentary inquiry which delivered excellent results.
“At the very least, we’d like to see the inquiry jointly headed by the Ministry of Health and the NZTA.”
Green MP Kevin Hague, who gave evidence to the Coroner’s inquiry into the tragic death of Ben Lawless, also welcomed the Coroner’s call for an inquiry and will be following up with the Wellington City Council on the specific recommendation to improve the safety of the intersection where Ben was killed.
Link to Get Britain Cycling All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group findings:
http://allpartycycling.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/get-britain-cycling1.pdf
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