Bus drivers swap seats for cycles

Palmerston North bus drivers are swapping their seats for cycles as part of a Horizons Regional Council exercise focused on sharing the road.

The exercise will take place outside the iSite from 9.30am Tuesday March 11. Bus drivers and cyclists will begin by navigating a route around The Square before trading modes of transport for a second circuit.

All participants will be asked to share and discuss their experiences during an on-site debrief session.

Horizons road safety coordinator for Palmerston North and Manawatu Desley Monks says five of Palmerston North’s intersections make the list of New Zealand’s top 110 most dangerous and the exercise aims to get all road users thinking about the need to share the road.

“Whether you’re a cyclist, a motorist, a bus driver or a combination of the three, all road users have a part to play when it comes to safer roads,” Mrs Monks says.

“This exercise aims to raise awareness of the different safety issues faced by individual road users at city intersections to promote safer, more courteous driving.”

People interested in bringing their bicycle to participate in the exercise can register by contacting Mrs Monks on toll free number 0508 800 800. However, anyone is invited to head down and have a chat to Horizons’ transport team on the day.

“Even if you don’t want to participate in the activity, I encourage you to come along and have your say on road safety issues. We’ll have live radio crosses on Classic Hits throughout the morning and having the buses there will allow people to see the road from a bus driver’s perspective.

“Just because you can see the driver doesn’t mean they can see you. A little bit of understanding can go a long way when it comes to safer roads,” Mrs Monks says.

Exercise partners include the New Zealand Police, Tranzit, Palmerston North City Council, Sport Manawatu and Bike Manawatu.

ENDS

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