Licensed in Lycra?
Easter is one annual event that may catch us by surprise, being a moveable feast. Your columnist finds deadlines shifted to fit holiday arrangements and is writing on the last day of the month what will be read next week. And by the light of the midnight oil we hail a truly innovative initiative from City Hall.
There have long been disgruntled rumblings that people on bikes should be licensed. Now City of Sydney is doing something about that with the Moore Safe Riding Program, a natural extension of the cycling education courses currently run from the CARES facility in Sydney Park.
Over ten weeks of part-time study, or in a one week intensive course, participants will undergo theoretical instruction and 20 hours of on-road training. Licenses will be issued to those candidates who satisfy attendance requirements and successfully complete all three assessment tasks – written, oral and physical.
Why would anyone put themselves through that for some local government certificate that means diddly-squat? Well, because the licensed riders will be paid $3 a day – $1095 per annum – and be issued with numbered City of Sydney Transit Agent vests and helmets in high-visibility fluoro-pink.
Council spokesperson, Duncan Fine, could not elucidate the details of the more controversial element of the scheme: a multi-million plus Apple sponsorship whereby each license holder will be issued an iPhone to communicate directly with bike police and also collect photographic evidence of motorist, cyclist and pedestrian traffic infringements.
Clover Moore, a devotee of two-wheeled travel, believes Sydney should be showing the world the way to a better bike culture. She says 50% of funding for the project will come from Canberra coffers following successful negotiations with Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett.
Premier Kristina Kenneally hopes to find time to complete the part-time course and CoSTA jacket #1 has been set aside for her.
Surprised? This critic of City cycling policy had to give himself a pinch and a punch for the first of the month.
by Peter Whitehead
