[publictransport] Geelong Advertiser: Cyclists call for V/Line ban to be lifted

[cfsmtb]

Great work Russell!

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Geelong Advertiser: Cyclists call for V/Line ban to be lifted - 13 
January 2008
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/01/13/10468_news.html


BIKE riders want City Hall to fight a V/Line bicycle ban.

Convener of Geelong Greens Bruce Lindsay said he used to ride to Geelong 
station when he commuted to Melbourne and would cycle to his workplace 
from Southern Cross Station.

``Far fewer greenhouse emissions. No stress of driving. No parking 
hassles,'' he said.

He said a move to rid peak trains of bicycles would further congest 
overflowing station car parks and smacked of decision making made on the 
run to fix a strained public transport system.

``Rather than fundamentally fixing the system, there is instead a series 
of ad hoc actions and decisions (or non-actions or indecisions),'' he said.

Convener of Barwon Bicycle Users Group Russell Lindsay has written to 
councillor Barbara Abley asking her to protest the crackdown on cyclists 
to Geelong MP Ian Trezise and Minister for Public Transport Lynne Kosky.

Mr Lindsay said the ban on bikes would force cyclists to drive to rail 
stations rather than ride.

But Cr Abley said any response needed to be a whole of council approach 
and that the group should write to City Hall.

Mr Trezise said yesterday he would be happy to speak to bicycle users 
and raise their concerns with Ms Kosky.

As of January 1, V/Line passengers have been forbidden from travelling 
with bikes on weekday trains that arrive in Melbourne before 9am or 
leave Melbourne between 4pm and 6pm.

V/Line internal communications manager Rebecca Cusack said passengers 
had until February 1 to become aware of the new rules, after which 
passengers with bikes would be asked to get off at the next station but 
would not be fined.

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