A senior resident wants the District of West Vancouver and the province to create a law making it mandatory for cyclists to have a bell or any other warning device on bikes.
The senior lives in Klahanie Court, an apartment building in West Van occupied by seniors and people with disabilities.
Located alongside the building is a paved footpath used by cyclists and pedestrians. The path is often used by cyclists as a shortcut to Lions Gate Bridge. The seniors says fast-moving bikes are a safety concern for slow-moving seniors. “It is rare to see and hear a bell or another warning device from cyclists who approach from the rear at high speed. A bicycle is silent; if it can’t be seen or heard, it presents a danger,” he said.
He said that one of the seniors who was working on the flowers and shrubs adjacent to the bike path was hit by a fast-moving cyclist on July 12. “The cyclist didn’t have a warning device nor did he call out to the said senior.”
Raymond Fung, the director of engineering and transportation for West Vancouver, said the Motor Vehicle Act had no requirement for bells or horns for bikes. “The only equipment specified is for bikes to have a front white light and a rear reflector light depending on the time of the day.”
According to Fung, the district’s bylaws only talk about the operation of the cycle, for example, to not ride on the sidewalk, but do not regulate any equipment. The bells on the bikes, he told the seniors, was a provincial matter.
The district would, however, consider reducing cycle speeds, he added.
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