PRESS CONFERENCE (1000) 5.6.98

SUBJECT: BICYCLE SAFETY

SPEAKER: JEFF KENNETT, PREMIER OF VICTORIA

JEFF KENNETT: All right, thank you for coming at short notice.

Over the last few days, I've been driving around the City of Melbourne,in particular. I have witnessed, every time that I have been out of myoffice, unfortunately couriers on bicycles who have been running red lights,who have been swerving in front of cars and trucks -- breaking every roadlaw that can possibly exist.

Now, that might be all a great deal of fun for the cyclists and thecouriers, but there's no doubt it is going to create - - or it is creatinga very real risk. And it might actually create a great deal of damage.Both to the cyclists themselves, but -- more importantly -- to those lawabiding citizens who are driving who all of a sudden find themselves havingto break or to swerve to avoid a cyclists who defies the laws.

It could also mean that we could have a situation, at some stage, wherea motorist or a vehicle operator, in trying to avoid one of these cyclists,has to swerve and therefore puts at risk pedestrians.

Now as you all know, I am not in favour of legislating or regulating.But, this obscene performance on our roads has got to stop. And I was soconcerned at an instance I saw yesterday, and just again this morning,that this morning's incident motivated me to ring up the Police Commissioner,raise my concerns with him and ask him to do whatever he thought, or torecommend whatever he thought needed to be done in order that we can puta stop to this unnecessary risk.

The Police Commissioner has indicated that he himself has been concernedabout the incidence of cyclists breaking the law and putting others atrisk, and earlier this week implemented a team within his own administrationto look at what we can do.

I therefore have said to the Police Commissioner, I look forward toreceiving his report. And I will take on board any recommendations thathe thinks are necessary in order to put an end to this particular behaviour.

Now this might seem, to some of you, a fairly minor matter. But it isgoing on every day, many many times, by individuals who are adults, knowthe law, and are flagrantly disobeying it. I'm letting them know, today,that the government will not tolerate such performance in the future.

Either they very quickly regulate themselves, that is the companies,or the government will take action, with the police, to bring it to anend. And that means either, obviously, imposing fines or perhaps even goingso far as to register these couriers and their bikes so that when you seethem skating through the red lights, or behaving illegally, then they havean easily identifiable number which can then be reported in the same waythat we do with motor vehicles with registration plates.

Now this is not something that I want to do. But I think it is somethingthat has been forced upon the community. And I don't see why people whoare obeying the law should pay both the potential cost of an accident,but the emotional cost in the event of an accident, because some peoplehave behaved so irresponsibly.

So I hope to get this report from the police, next week, the week after.And we will decide whether with the companies if we can do anything thatis going to reduce this instance of flagrant abuse. And if we can't, thenIwill not hesitate to legislate.

QUESTION: Premier, what particular (...indistinct...)?

KENNETT: Every day, every day. But I mean, I was on the corner - - wewere driving down the back of Parliament House, the corner of Spring Stand Collins St. And this guy on a pedal bike, courier, came through, thelights had turned red, the cars were actually crossing -- north-south --Spring St, and he just drove straight through them all. Forcing some tobrake, others to swerve, and this guy just went around, did a U-ie, cameback and parked in front of 1 Collins St.

This morning, another incidence, going down Collins St to a function,a bicycle on the left -- without any indication at all -- just immediatelyturned in front of a truck. Went right out on to the tram tracks and thendarted back in, oblivious to anyone else on the road. Again leading tobraking - - and I've got to say, from an observer's point of view, twocars back, I thought the guy had gone. I couldn't see how the truck couldstop in time to protect this individual.

Now, there is no reason why innocent motorists and pedestrians shouldbe put at risk by people who are behaving so irresponsibly.

QUESTION: Would you consider banning (indistinct)?

KENNETT: Well that would be an extreme step. I hope we don't have toget to that. But I do not intend for you guys, or the public, to say tome in three months time, when there has been an incident where pedestriansor motorists have been injured because of the foolhardiness of some ofthese people, 'Why didn't the government act?'

It is a problem. It is out there. We intend to act. And today I servenotice on those courier firms. I serve notice through them to their cyclists:if you don't want there to be legislation, then you'd better start obeyingthe laws.

If not, then we'll have no hesitation introducing legislation that mightlead to the registration of these vehicles, bicycles and their riders.And that will then bring about a method by which we can impose penaltieson them when they do in fact break the law.

QUESTION: (Indistinct)

KENNETT: No, I think the bicycle riders are much worse than the motorcycleriders. The motorcycle riders are a vehicle. You find most of those ridersabide by the laws of the road, because they are a vehicle. Whereas thecyclists are just all over the place. I should also say, they're down naturestrips as well.

And the public are increasingly at risk because these cyclists mountthe kerb, charge down 50-60, 100 metres, pull up, jump off, rush in, comeback. But, it's just not good enough and something's got to be done.

QUESTION: (Indistinct)

KENNETT: I think you'll find most regular commuters are responsible.I haven't seen a regular commuter who wanted to play Kamikaze pilot onour roads -- and that's what they're doing. Most cyclists abide by therules and they're at risk as well, from these people who are behaving sostupidly.

QUESTION: (Indistinct)

KENNETT: I'm not aware.

QUESTION: (Indistinct)

KENNETT: Don't know, I don't know. I'll check it out. But I mean, wemust have a contract with someone, I suppose, for certain stuff. But Imean, it's just absurd.

QUESTION: At the moment, what can the law do about (indistinct)?

KENNETT: Well, I guess if we had - - I mean, I'm so frustrated on eachday that you just want to - - if there was a policeman on the corner, hopefully,they might have been able to nab him. But how? Because the guy just peddlesaway faster. There's no identification. And the cyclist gives the policemanthe two-finger salute.

Well, their days are numbered. All right. Pardon?

QUESTION: (Indistinct)

KENNETT: Well, sometimes I wish I was. Sometimes I wish I had a bluelight that I could attach to the roof of my car and pull these hoons over.But they are going to cause damage. And, as I say, I hope today to servenotice on them.

QUESTION: (Indistinct)

KENNETT: I think that's something that we're going to have to look at.And it's not even company - - I mean, I think we might end up -- if wedon't see a dramatic change very quickly -- we're going to have to lookat registering the drivers. Right. The cyclists. And we might even registerthe bikes.

I don't care what it takes. If these people can not obey the law, I'mnot going to have innocent Victorians and visitors to Victoria put at riskby hoonish behaviour

3LO Interview Wednesday 17 Jun 1998

COMPERE: Just a couple of very quick ones. The crackdown on couriersin the city. Is this a personal thing for you? Were you side-swiped orsomething?

KENNETT: No, I wasn't sideswiped, but I've seen so many incidences bothbefore and after we've announced it, where these guys on bikes literallytake their own lives into their hands but also put at risk other people'slives by the way they ride. They just ride through red lights. They rideon pavements. And I've discussed it with the police. We are having a lookat it to see if we perhaps won't register these people so that where theydo break the law we can identify them and take appropriate action. It'sjust a matter of common sense. If they abided by the rules of the roadwe wouldn't be concerned.

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