CONCERNS have been raised in Bombala about the misuse of footpaths and sidewalks in the CBD, particularly along Maybe Street.
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Maybe Street’s Globe Hotel owner Kincaid Lunn said the illegal riding of pushbikes, scooters and skateboards has been a continuous occurrence for years and he would like to see something done about it.
“I’m an ex-police officer and I know what the law is … the laws require that there can’t be any skateboards, scooters or pushbikes ridden down a pathway,” he said.
“The law is the same for adults and requires that no one over the age of 12 is allowed to ride along a path [unless accompanying someone under the age of 12].
“I remember when my youngest was 18-months-old and he was nearly mowed down by a bike.
“We have an aging population here and my concern is an elderly person or a young child will be bowled over and get injured and then there would be real trouble.
“Maybe the laws should be enforced.”
Mr Lunn said he raised the issue with council when signs which stated the proper use of the paths were damaged, vandalised or removed.
“The council has come around and put those signs up again, but it’s not up to them [council] to hand out the tickets to these people who don’t
listen to the law,” he said.
Bombala Council’s general manager Ngaire McCrindle confirmed new signs were erected in the CBD recently.
“Generally speaking these signs mean there are to be no bikes or skateboards on the footpaths,” she said.
“This is a safety issue for people walking on the footpath.
“They are not a shared space unlike the path around the river; the CBD paths are very specific to say they are footpaths only.”
Bombala Police Constable Stephen Gay confirmed that he had received Mr Lunn’s complaint.
Constable Gay told the Bombala Times that the police were monitoring the situation – which was
not always an easy task for the officers with them also working outside the town.
“If we see people doing the wrong thing we’ll jump on it,” Constable Gay said.
Constable Gay said he would also raise the issue of bike paths with council and instigate an education program at the schools.
Maybe Street was busy and with it being used by
logging trucks and other heavy vehicles, it was also potentially dangerous, he said.
He believed that young people may fear that the road was too dangerous to ride on, thus resorting to the
footpaths.
But that created its own problems, with pedestrians then at risk from being hit by a bike or scooter, he said.