Bicycle Terror on Pavements

City removed a bus shelter to make these bike lanes.

Some cyclists make the pavement a dangerous place for pedestrians, especially during the summer when people try to walk as much as possible.

Cyclists get preferential treatment from the provincial government because they are a powerful lobby. The Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation (MPI) spends taxpayers’ money on ads about how drivers should be courteous to bicycles, but I’m yet to see ads about cyclists walking their bikes in major bus stops and busy pavements.

The government indulges cyclists in more ways than one. There are bike lanes at major intersections, around parks and every summer the city guts out roads to install bike lanes. Recently, it removed a bus shelter to make bike lanes to The Forks.

WALK BICYCLES

The Forks, in Winnipeg Manitoba is an outdoor family entertainment place where you walk every where, along the river, around the skateboard park and forest trails.

It has security guards inside and outside the main building. I’ve also noticed that the Winnipeg Police Services now patrols the area, but they don’t apprehend cyclists that cycle through crowds.

Forks Management has walk bikes signs especially around the main building but most cyclists plough through. Pedestrians move out of the way because they are scared.

Despite everything the government does to make Winnipeg a bike friendly city, some cyclists prefer making barreling on pavements, an Olympics sport. Scaring pedestrians is part of the fun because they don’t ring the bell. Do they have bells? You don’t know what’s behind you when you are walking on the pavement.

Pedestrians also pay taxes so they have a right to stress free pavements. The government must prepare ads about bike terror on pavements. It is not allowed. Walk your bike.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.