Collision rouses cycleway safety fears

A cyclist and a car collided on the Havelock Rd cycling and walking path yesterday. Photo / Duncan Brown

A business owner says she is concerned about safety on the Havelock Rd cycleway after a man biking down the path and a car collided outside her shop.

The man, aged in his 50s, and a car leaving the Bayfresh fruit and vegetable shop car park collided yesterday afternoon.

Police Sergeant Eden Sewell said the cyclist was heading toward Hastings when the driver pulled out without noticing him.

The rider received minor injuries and was treated by an ambulance at the scene. The impact pushed in the car's windshield.

Bayfresh co-owner Trina Gee said she was concerned about the danger to cyclists by customers exiting the store's carpark.

In order to see if cyclists were coming along the cycleway, drivers needed to pull out directly in to their path.

"They need to stick a guard in or they need to give cars enough leeway to come out, so they can see cyclists. [The cycleway] is a good thing, but the safety aspect hasn't been looked at properly."

Hastings District Council installed bollards where the cycle and walking path crossed driveways in 2012, at a cost of about $28,000, in an attempt to reduce the risk of accidents. But they were scrapped late last year, after a safety audit recommending their removal was approved by councillors.

Ms Gee said she agreed the bollards had been unsafe, "but something still needs to be done".

The safety audit was prompted by councillor Wayne Bradshaw's wife falling on to a bollard in a cycling accident, which put her in hospital for two weeks with several broken bones.

Mr Bradshaw yesterday called for signs to be put up in Havelock Rd car parks warning drivers to look out for cyclists on the path.

"All car parks should have signs saying, 'please be careful of cyclists and pedestrians'. The council should print the signs and give them to the people."

Council transportation manager Jag Pannu said the incident would be investigated.

"Cyclist safety is our highest priority under the iWay initiative and we take safety very seriously on all the district's cycleways and trails, including Havelock Rd."

Since the cycleway was built in 2012, the council had "implemented a number of improvements to maximise safety", such as approach markings at all access points along the route.

In a separate incident, a male cyclist received minor injuries when he and a car collided at the Heretaunga St East and Hastings St intersection yesterday evening.

Constable Ryan Palmer said both cyclists in yesterday's incidents were wearing helmets.