Bike racks gone from buses

As many as four times a week, 11-year-old twins Ollie and Connor McGlashen have been taking the bus with their bikes from Richmond to Nelson to ride the hills with their friends, but buses will no longer take bikes.

Friday was the last day the pair could take the bus with their bikes to Nelson before a nationwide ban was imposed on bike racks on buses, following a safety notice from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

It came after recent concerns raised by the Bus and Coach Association that on some bus models, front-mounted bike racks loaded with bikes may partially obstruct headlights so that they may not be compliant with road rules.

A NZTA/Waka Kotahi spokesperson says it issued an alert, which recommended public transport authorities check visibility when using bike racks on buses at night. It did not issue the ban though, but rather offered advice to bus operators, as well as possible solutions that could be considered to ensure buses remain compliant.

It insists the legal requirements to use vehicle headlamps only applies during the hours of darkness, so bicycle racks with bicycles on them can remain on the front of buses while headlamps are not in use.

The agency encourages public transport authorities to have bicycle racks available to customers.

But bus operators have canned the racks, in the meantime at least, leaving Ollie, Connor and their friends a long bike ride from Nelson hills. The boys’ father, Andrew McGlashen, says the ban came with little warning and will affect a range of people, including kids and older people, taking their bikes to Nelson.

Otherwise, it is a 30km return trip to Nelson which he says is a big add-on for youngsters tackling the mountainbike trail network around Nelson and the tarseal is tough on their mountainbike tyres.

“It’s just a real shame for the kids. They take their bikes, meet friends and spend all the day mountainbiking. There’s different terrain and different skills. It’s another reason why mountainbiking is going so well in the region.”

He says it also builds other skills for the young bike riders, such as independence, time management and working out bus routes for themselves.

“Parents are working and can’t take them. If parents are driving them, it’s more congestion on the roads,” he says.

“It takes away that other option for transportation for people.”

In Europe, he says, buses have vertical bike racks on the back that seem to work well, though he concedes that might be difficult for heavier electric bikes.

He is just incredulous that the service was stopped without a timeframe for a solution, especially when the possibility of obstructing headlights would only be a problem at night.

A ban was introduced at night time just a few days prior and then the blanket ban on Friday.

“I think it will affect a lot of people. I just hope there’s an option in the future that allows bikes access to buses.”

Nelson City Council group manager infrastructure, Alec Louverdis, says the ban is disappointing and acknowledges it will have a significant impact on the community, but there is also a need for operators to comply with legislation.

He says staff from councils around the country have sought further clarification from NZTA and a working group of council and NZTA representatives will continue discussions to establish clearer guidance on compliance requirements.

However, the timeframe for setting the criteria and testing is still unknown and in the meantime, he says, the bike racks on the buses will be disabled so they cannot be used.

Without bikes, Andrew says some of those who have been using the buses will no longer need them, including his sons, which means less income for the bus service and it puts more cars back on the road.

Like when the boys do a backflip on their bikes, Andrew hopes those making the decisions do a backflip on the bike rack ban and allow people to continue using the racks until there is a better solution.