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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (30 March) . . Page.. 1149 ..

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services): I will now continue my speech at the appropriate place, Mr Speaker. Let us look at Australian road rule 72 - - -

MR SPEAKER: Is leave granted for Mr Smyth to speak again?

Leave granted.

MR SMYTH: I will be very quick. I will give just one example instead of going through all of them. Australian road rule 72 is about causing a driver to give way at an intersection to a bicycle rider when the driver is turning right or left or is making a U-turn. Consider that you are at a busy intersection and a person is turning right. A driver must look out for the vehicles on his left or right and any pedestrians that cross near the intersection. Ms Tucker would have the driver look out for a cyclist who would be travelling at any speed from any direction onto the road. Mr Speaker, we have to make sure the cyclists are also responsible for their actions. I think that fundamentally these provisions are flawed. We have made amendment to, particularly, the provision for cyclists using a crossing that has traffic lights on it. I do not believe that we should be supporting these amendments because I do not think that they add to the safety of, certainly, ACT cyclists and any cyclist that would visit the ACT.

A division having been called and the bells having been rung -

Mr Smyth: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to withdraw the call for a division.

Leave granted.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

MR HARGREAVES (3.45): I move:

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