Knysna-Plett Herald | Cyclist fined R500

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Cyclist fined R500
07:08 (GMT+2), Thu, 30 August 2012

Gideon Gericke was fined R500 for passing a Knysna Municipal Traffic official on this corner in Grey Street while cycling to work.

KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna cyclist, Gideon Gericke could not believe it when, while cycling to work recently, he was pulled over recently by two Knysna Municipal Traffic officials and fined R500 for crossing a barrier line in Grey Street.

According to Gericke, it had been raining the night before and the section of Grey Street on the Knysna side of the turn-off to the prison, was extremely slippery. "The traffic officials and a golf were travelling ahead of me. On the corner I realised that if I braked I could easily slide and fall, so I passed the cop car on the right," he explained and added that there was no space to pass the vehicles on the left hand side of the road.

"When I got to Pam Golding [corner of Grey and Main Streets] I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the officer was showing me to pull over," he said, "I was actually quite surprised that it happened."

Gericke said that before the officers issued the fine, they first discussed what he should be fined for. "They first said that perhaps they should fine me for not wearing a helmet, but I pointed out another cyclist at the traffic light was also not wearing a helmet." Thereafter the officers issued him with a R500 fine for, as the fine reads, "disregard of a barrier line".

Knysna municipal manager, Lauren Waring explained the reason for this hefty fine as follows: "A bicycle, although not a motor vehicle, is a vehicle just the same and any person operating a bicycle on the road must adhere to the rules and laws of the road. In this case the alleged transgression was such that the officer used his discretion to issue the fine." She added that Gericke was welcome to approach the Knysna Traffic Department to apply to have the fine reduced.

In the meantime community members marched on the Knysna Municipal offices on Friday, August 24, demanding that the same officer who issued the fine, be fired.

Community members marched on the Knysna Municipal offices on Friday, August 24, demanding the removal of a Municipal Law Enforcement employee, the same employee who recently issued a R500 fine to a cyclist for crossing a barrier line in Grey Street.


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Your Comments...


gwyneth76 says:	30/08/2012 16:10:02
we had to take a test at school, called the national cycling proficiency test (in the uk) and had to learn all the road rules, and take a test (just like a driving test)... but as an cyclist and car user, i am apalled by some cyclists on the road, without helmets and bells, and an hugely dangerous atitude to the use of the road. If you race up the inside of the car lane, and do not stop or signal at 4 way stops and red lights, something bad is gonna happen.

gwyneth76 says:	30/08/2012 16:00:26
makes me laugh, as i sit in my window watching a car drive out the in, and turn right out of superspar car park onto main street. this happens on average every five minutes throughout the day, even though it is clearly signposted a no-right turn... and is dangerous, because no-one is expecting it. hello easy money with fines....

Rabbit says:	30/08/2012 12:16:13
This really is pathetic. Why dont the traffic officers target the taxis more instead of trying to decide what to fine a cyclist for. If there specific rules which apply to cyclist as well as vehicle drivers then these laws should be given to each cyclist upon purchasing the bicycle. Some cyclists have never even operated a motor vehicle so how are they supposed to know what laws apply to drivers? Sorry but what the municipal law enforcers are saying nothing.