Locke Keith: Transport Legislation Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Locke Keith: Transport Legislation Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:621;Page:16923] 
KEITH LOCKE (Green) 
: 
 I rise on behalf of the Green Party to respond to some of the comments made by Maurice Williamson. He was going on and on in his speech about safety at reasonable cost. I think that the problem with the reality we face on the roads today is that every excuse in the book has been used by authorities local bodies and people in charge of transport to avoid having our roads safe. Mr Williamson talked about cyclists. I am a cyclist myself in Auckland. Cyclists have been getting a raw deal for years and years. There are just not the proper provisions throughout most of Auckland for safe cycling. If one cycles down many of the inner city streets—for example Symonds Street is a nightmare—there just are not the provisions there for cyclists. There are some off-road cycleways in Auckland and hopefully Auckland City under its new council will expand off-road cycleways and improve conditions for cycles. I think that this legislation will help the council because it will enable it to work hand in hand with the various authorities in this bill to promote proper safe cycling.  
I have recently visited Norway and Sweden in Scandinavia where a much higher proportion of the population cycles because their Governments make serious provision for cycling. Sometimes they take a parking lane off and put a two-way cycle lane along it instead. It is not only a question of safety but also a question of health if people are to cycle for short journeys. Most of the transport journeys in urban settings including in Auckland are for relatively short distances of a kilometre 2 kilometres or 3 kilometres. These journeys could be done by cycle if there were the cycle lanes and cycleways to encourage that.  
So I very much support the safety emphasis in this legislation which was worked out in very close collaboration between Labour and the Greens. I think it would do people like Mr Williamson and his National colleagues credit if they took up cycling themselves to try to encourage people to use cycles and therefore reduce car congestion. [ 
Interruption 
] 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member. The Chair will not allow a speaker to be drowned out. I can hardly hear the member. I say to members that chaos may be the parent of creation but in this Committee we will have order. 
KEITH LOCKE 
: I will not talk just about cycling but also about facilities for pedestrians. Again in Auckland half the time there are not proper footpaths around the city and there are difficulties at traffic lights particularly for disabled people. Important improvements are needed. There are still a lot of pedestrian accidents including accidents at traffic lights. The turning lanes at intersections are not adequate and often create difficulty for pedestrians and particularly for older citizens. There are still projects going ahead without proper cycling and pedestrian facilities. There was a big debate in Auckland recently in relation to an overbridge over the Grafton Gully motorway extension because it did not have cycle facilities and proper pedestrian facilities. Under the cycling and walking strategy being developed by the Government in collaboration with the Greens on which initial draft discussion papers have been presented hopefully in every road and transport project that goes ahead consideration will be given to proper facilities for the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. This is not only in relation to road projects. Each rail development project can have cycling and walking facilities in it. One of the advantages—particularly in a place like Auckland which is rather hilly—is that the railways are relatively level and are good for also providing walking and cycling facilities. So that is one issue that the Greens including the Greens in Parliament will be promoting.