Cyclists playing hard and fast with the road rules are getting up Colin Morley’s nose.
Colin Morley
The Cambridge motorist and leisure cyclist was driven to approach The News on Sunday, complaining about the behaviour of cyclists in Victoria Street.
He sent in two images captured around 10am Sunday on his dashcam – something he says is there for his own protection as much as anything else – showing the dangerous behaviour.
One snapped a group of cyclists headed towards the clock tower. Only one was riding in the designated cycle lane. The other image captured one of their number tucking in ahead of the Victoria/Alpha streets roundabout to make an overtly illegal right turn.
“Not only did he just swing off to the right, but he gave no signal,” an irate Morley said. “It is quite feasible that people approaching the roundabout to turn right from the Onyx side of Alpha St wouldn’t have seen him.”
Witnesses say the group of cyclists were positioning themselves to go to a café on the other side of the road. In the case of the individual cyclist, it is understood he was taking evasive action after his chain slipped.
But Colin says the behaviour of cyclists is an issue in Cambridge and many appear to think rules don’t apply to them and suffer from feelings of entitlement. He reckons it’s just a matter of time before someone is killed.
He is angry that ratepayers like himself have invested so much into cycleways that a lot of cyclists choose not to use.
Colin, a former president of the Cambridge Repertory Society who has his own videography business, cycles for leisure. “I make a point of using the cycle lanes… for the safety of others as well as my own.”
He recalled witnessing a close shave when driving late last year, also on Victoria Street.
“I stopped at a pedestrian crossing to let an elderly gentleman walk across. He was half-way across when a cyclist came up the inside at speed and nearly took him out. You just need to watch them going around the Anzac/Victoria streets roundabout on a Sunday morning when they are all out riding… they dart and weave between the cars. They don’t even slow down. It’s incredibly dangerous.”
All that’s needed to keep everyone safe, he said, is for cyclists to use the cycle lanes that are provided for them and obey the road rules.
Cycle group
