Paddington residents making a human rights complaint over a bicycle lane was not on my bingo card, but here we go.
According to the complaint, six residents in the affluent eastern Sydney suburb have claimed a proposed bike lane on Oxford Street is in breach of their human rights, and are calling on the local council to cease construction at once.
The complaint, which is a massive 14 pages long, is requesting the Australian Human Rights Commission contact the City of Sydney council and request they stop construction work on the western end of the cycleway – from the CBD to Taylor Square – and request Transport for NSW stop planning work on the eastern end – from Taylor Square to Centennial Park.
In particular, they have a problem with the “island bus stops” that come as a result of separate bike lanes. When these are in use, bus passengers must walk from the footpath and through the bike lane to reach the bus stop.
Apparently bike lanes are serious enough to warrant a human rights complaint. (Image: Getty)
One of the residents behind the complaint, hearing impaired Michael Waterhouse, says he’s “very concerned” about the proposed bike lane after nearly being involved in an accident with a cyclist.
The 80-year-old admitted he was at fault – he was looking at his phone while being on the shared path – but decided to go ahead with the complaint anyway, because it could “happen to anybody of a certain age”.
“It was my fault. But I realised this could happen to anybody of a certain age. The more I looked into it, the more I thought, ‘This is bizarre’. I’m really concerned about it,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“The whole cycling thing is good on one level. Unfortunately there are a number of cyclists who will cause problems. The demographic of Paddington is getting older. There are a lot of people around who I think will be affected.”
What does the Paddington cyclist complaint entail?
The complaint includes videos of cyclist accidents and near-misses from areas in London with similar “floating bus stops”. There’s also a detailed outline of what risks the residents believe the cycle lane poses.
“For older and disabled people, the risk of being hit by a cycle is considerable,” the complaint reads.
“Anyone who has encountered cyclists on Sydney’s roads will know the speeds at which they often travel and the propensity of many of them to ignore traffic lights and pedestrians… there’s no reason to expect that Oxford Street cyclists will be any better than those in the UK.”
The residents added that cyclists will be able to “gather momentum” and “travel at high speed” during several long stretches on the Oxford Street cycleway.
What the Paddington residents’ nightmares entail, I assume. (Image: Getty)
The letter claims the “floating bus stops” go against Australia’s Disability Standards for Accessible Public transport, but residents maintain they’re not against cyclists, per se.
“We are not opposed to improving cyclist safety. This would make no sense. We just don’t want this to be prioritised ahead of the safety of pedestrians, particularly those who are older and disabled,” they wrote.
Transport for NSW confirmed they were working closely with City of Sydney on this cycleway project. Between the two organisations, they have received feedback from both the Accessible Transport Advisory Committee and consultation with the community.
However, the City of Sydney says it has undergone extensive community consultation during the planning process, and the bus stops have been designed to meet all current safety and accessibility requirements.
“We know many people riding currently use the footpaths along Oxford Street, and we expect the dedicated cycleway will greatly reduce this happening,” a spokesperson said.
“All road users, including people riding, must obey the rules and give way to anyone walking. People’s safety on the whole road system relies on others doing the right thing.”
Who knew the main nemesis for Paddington residents was the humble bicycle? (Image: Getty)
Reddit reacts to Paddington residents’ human rights complaint
Over on the r/Sydney Reddit, users have been gagged by the Paddington Six’s formal complaint.
“I’m a single person, that experienced an issue once, which was in fact my fault but let’s try and derail a project that will help thousands of commuters every day long after I’m dead because I’m an entitled twat,” one person summarised.
“This is the most Paddington thing to ever happen in Paddington,” another said.
“These are the fuckwits that moved into King’s Cross then complained bars existed,” a third pointed out.
“The Human Rights Commission… for a cycleway. Wish I had this much time on my hands,” another added.
I fear I won’t be able to tell the difference between satire and reality if things like this keep happening.
Feature image: Getty
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