Would-be Green MP's YouTube bike dispute

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A spat between a Green Party candidate who filmed himself arguing with security staff over cyclists' rights at The Base shopping centre has ended up on YouTube.

Max Coyle, who is standing for Hamilton West, said he felt "intimidated and not welcome" after security staff told him and a group of friends to stop riding their bicycles at The Base shopping centre.

But Tainui Group Holdings chief executive Mike Pohio said cyclists were welcome at The Base.

He said Mr Coyle and his friends were riding on the footpath and filming - both not permitted at The Base - and the minute-long clip was an incomplete sequence of events.

The clip filmed on Mr Coyle's iPhone which shows him arguing with security staff has had fewer than 1000 hits since it was posted last Thursday.

Mr Coyle said the incident left him feeling intimidated and he wanted "an apology from Tainui".

"He sort of steps into me and asks me what was my authority, he was pretty much in my face. It left me feeling quite under attack and that really as cyclists we felt unwanted by The Base and we weren't valued as customers who would have driven their cars in."

Mr Coyle said that apart from making a posting on TGH's Facebook page he had not made any contact with the organisation.

"But I would be very keen to meet Tainui and bring this matter to a close and hopefully get some more solid ground rules for cyclists. I would like a formal apology from Tainui and ... to see cyclists given more respect from the security staff and The Base."

Mr Pohio said The Base was a mix of private land, developed land and public property. He said normal road rules applied on public land around The Base, but on its private land "our interests rest with the safety of our customers".

"The cyclists in question were riding on the footpath and filming. Because both of these activities are prohibited, they were requested to stop riding on the footpath and to stop filming."

Mr Pohio said The Base promoted and encouraged cycling to and at The Base.

"This is demonstrated by the significant number of bicycle stands established on site."

NZ Transport Agency spokesman Andy Knackstedt said the owners of a shopping centre could deny cyclists entry to the property.

"However, there is an implied licence for people to come onto the property to conduct their business by whatever means and no automatic presumption that cyclists are not allowed to enter the property unless there are signs stating that they are not."

Watch the clip here: