Cyclists’ safety could not be taken for granted and the law is needed to step in to protect them

SHOOT: Good to see some progress in this important area. We need fewer cars and more cyclists on the road, not the other way round.

clipped from www.eyewitnessnews.co.za Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle on Tuesday expressed a concern that cyclists were becoming increasingly vulnerable on the roads. Three cyclists practicing for the Cape Argus/Pick n Pay Cycle tour were killed on the R62 outside Oudtshoorn when a car tried to overtake a truck and knocked them down on Monday. A fourth cyclist is recovering in hospital. This is the fifth incident in the past two months in which cyclists have been knocked down. “We are committed to non-motorised transport and we will make it safe and if we have to get rough with motorised transport to understand that the roads are for both; we will get rough with them.” Provincial authorities are considering changing traffic laws to better accommodate the needs of cyclists.