Cyclist knocked down in St James this morning

[Guest Frail4Life]

Cyclist comes from Eastern Cape, was commuting to work. Family is gathering, waiting for weekend before they travel Up. I have given the family everyones blessing. They have no Hardship.

Rest in Peace "Same"! David

[GoLefty!!]

can we find out who his employer was? It may be worthwhile opening dialogue with them to put pressure on the system to get things changed

[GoLefty!!]

Email:

 

Bronwen Dyke <bronwendyke@gabs.co.za>

 

I don't believe they will give a hoot.

[Tubehunter]

 

 

They will give you all the "right" answers but next week the GA drivers will do excatly the same thing again, untill the next person is killed.

 

I can post 2 years worth of emails and then go to Plattekloof NOW and see how the GA busses behave....

 

Could be worth seeing who the consistent characters are! Seeing as this is directly about GA and their drivers it won't detract from the topic. Could you post some highlights of that in a bite size portion please??

[GoLefty!!]

bus numbers, dates, transgression and pictures.

 

If they have satellite and video camer amonitoring on all their buses they should know of these transgressions.

[GoLefty!!]

Who can host a Website?

We need to create a blog where cyclists can upload any transgression committed by motorised traffic that can harm the rider or his/her fellow riders. MAybe thehub.co.za can fulfill this function?

Then we need a fund that can take these cases to court. Cyclist will need to report these matters to the police.

PPA has money. We demand it be spent on legal fees to take these people to court instead of gathering dust. When I was a member I gave them no mandate to save my membership fees. Having an investment account is a good thing but being thrifty with that money can't be legal because dividend are income and a non profit is supposed to spend its income or its not fulfilling its mandate.

Edited October 25, 2012 by GoLefty!!

[covie]

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/shock-at-cyclist-s-death-in-bus-crash-1.1410748#.UIkIkmf-JnA

[GoLefty!!]

anyone have Rashiq Fataar's contact details?

[Icycling]

I appreciate you sharing why you left and I'd like to hear from PPA why they are sitting on the cash. Do you have any thoughts as to the reasoning, or is somebody making money out of the interest?

 

I can almost beyond a shadow of a doubt state that nobody is making any money out of the cash and it is been wisely invested in unite trust (the unite trust companies at my request have provided letter stating no kick back or commissions have been paid - these letter were present at the AGM). The current treasure / and at least the committee of last year and previous years were almost to scared to waist money too many cheques and balance in place not willing to take risk as some members will not alway agree! Understand if money is miss spent the members have the right to ask how could you waist that amount of money - my argument is that the members also have the right to ask how could you just hold onto the cash (wisely) while it could be used for the purpose of cycling in many different areas. Yes PPA has spent money on project funding etc of which only a percentage was well spent 100% well.

 

My feeling is the members need to tell the EXCO they need to spend the money and not just let the account grow. Of course it must be spent wisely on cycling - what the EXCO in the late 90ies (yup I was present at these meetings - the only other member of EXCO who was present was David Bellairs) negotiated with Rotary for a trade of 50 % shares for 50% profit from the Cycle tour - up till then PPA got about 10 % profit from the cycle tour but were 100% owners. The big question is what is wisely? Is it having events like the Giro - spending far more on cycle awareness -employing somebody(ies) with the sole purpose in mind to lobby gov for road safety and land access?

 

As the treasurer - well at an AGM stating we have X million in the account will naturally be applauded - lets face it most sporting bodies are bankrupt in RSA. So you really have to provide good reason to the treasurer why money should be spent. Or have PPA create a policy of what enough as a reserve fund is enough and the rest must be spent on cycling - my suggestion is enough is 1 year to continue running the association for 1 year at any time of the year on the assumption that not 1 cent is received in that year be it from membership or cycle tour etc - thus been able to honor a yearly membership assuming a cyclist joined the association the day before the catastrophic time period started! Ok add a Factor of safety and a make it 2 years! Currently their is still money left in the account to spend! While on the committee I had put these suggestions forward but unfortunately the question of enough and spending wisely always come up!

[Guest ctMTBer]

Just 2 of the many emails

 

Good day,

I have checked on Mr Thomas complaint, and agree that the Area in discussion (McDonalds) on Plattekloof Road is a cycle lane and therefore buses should not offload on the lane. Could you please educate our drivers by circulating a traffic notice in your depot? I will have two inspector’s deployed at the point as from tomorrow for the week to instruct drivers to refrain from this practice.

 

Regards Kevin Jacobs

 

Hi Kevin

 

I saw the inspectors this morning at the McDonalds T-junction and noticed that they did speak to driver of bus 3008

However bus stopped again a little further just after the next traffic lights whee there is no bus stop the on pulling back into traffic it did it right in front of a Mercedes who was forced to swap lanes - see pictures

The at Rothchild the bus allowed passengers to get of while in the right lane thus forcing the passengers to step into traffic.

 

and "some" pictures

 

Edited October 25, 2012 by ctMTBer

[Guest ctMTBer]

Another email

 

Hi Brett

I have tweeted to you a few times @brettherron and that is also where I tried to send the msg to on twitter.

The GA buses go along plattekloof road, towards the N1 and then stop at Plattekloof and Robyn Cres(i think) across from the Mc Donald's in the Cycle lane. I have reported this to GA and was told that the city had not provided a bus stop there but they will keep using is as one.

With the traffic then going past the bus drives off in the Cycle lane and joins the traffic where it can.

The same buses will then stop at Plattekloof and Baronecty, in the left lane again. (No bus stop) then they will drive in that yellow lane up the hill and stop on the left at Plattekloof and Rothschild on the left in the yellow lane, after dropping of the passengers they cross, sometimes over the white line in order to turn right down Rothschild.

I will attach the pictures for you again.

16 Jan Bus as per picture

26 Jan Bus 3044

27 Jan as per picture

08 Feb bus 5055

This is a daily problem.

 

============================

 

Another

 

From:

Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 8:15 AM

To: complaints@gabs.co.za; brian.schippers@capetown.gov.za;

werner.fourie@capetown.gov.za; anwarally@gabs.co.za

Subject: Busses driving along Plattekloof road

Hi There

I have sent numerous complaints to Anwar Ally(Golden Arrow busses) but

still there has been no improvement in the behaviour of golden arrow

buses along the plattekloof road.

I also reported this to traffic police one morning who was trapping on

plattekloof road and they told me that it is not up to them to make

sure buses do not drive in the cycle lane or the yellow lane.

I cycle on plattekloof road often and the buss es there do what they

want. I have sent pictures, report etc but still what they are doing

is dangerous.

Could someone please action this as it endangers not only the life of

cyclist and pedestrians but a bus has already been involved in an

accident at the Panarama hospital intersection, because the bus was

crossing ALL lanes and white lines from the left to far right in order

to turn right.

Edited October 25, 2012 by ctMTBer

[Guest ctMTBer]

One more

 

On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 8:03 AM, wrote:

Morning Mario

 

I still see that the busses do the same thing every day....I have not

seen any improvement. This action of the busses are very dangerous and

hope that someone will adddress this BEFORE anything bad happens.

 

Can GABS please take some action

 

 

 

 

 

On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 8:23 AM, <> wrote:

> Hi there

>

> I still have not seen any improvement. Bus 3026 driving in the yellow

> line lane and then crossing again as described before. Will there only

> be action once someone is killed?

>

>

>

[Annie O]

Just 2 of the many emails

 

Good day,

I have checked on Mr Thomas complaint, and agree that the Area in discussion (McDonalds) on Plattekloof Road is a cycle lane and therefore buses should not offload on the lane. Could you please educate our drivers by circulating a traffic notice in your depot? I will have two inspector’s deployed at the point as from tomorrow for the week to instruct drivers to refrain from this practice.

 

Regards Kevin Jacobs

 

Hi Kevin

 

I saw the inspectors this morning at the McDonalds T-junction and noticed that they did speak to driver of bus 3008

However bus stopped again a little further just after the next traffic lights whee there is no bus stop the on pulling back into traffic it did it right in front of a Mercedes who was forced to swap lanes - see pictures

The at Rothchild the bus allowed passengers to get of while in the right lane thus forcing the passengers to step into traffic.

 

and "some" pictures

 

 

The irony of illegally taken photographs being used to demonstrate "illegal" behaviour by bus drivers is ironic. And amusing.

What gives you the right to break the law to demonstrate others allegedly doing the same?

 

I have read this and other threads and pieces on cycling accidents - especially in Cape Town. The fact is that there is certainly a problem, but until there is mutual respect between cyclists and other road users, nothing good will happen. Accidents will continue to occur and Newton tells us that cyclists will (almost invariably) come off the worst.

 

The majority of reaction to yesterday's tragic accident on this thread has been kneejerk and (perhaps understandably) emotional. Not all GABS drivers are murderers. You know very little of the GABS training programme, yet you make rash assumptions, judgements and statements. Do you think the driver in question did it deliberately? How do you think he feels, having been involved in an accident which took a young man's life? You are looking at this solely from one side. That's unhelpful.

 

Things need to settle down a little if any coherent and progressive response is to come from this incident.

 

Just saying.

 

Anne Observer. (sometime driver, sometime cyclist, not been on a bus for years)

[Lucky Luke.]

I can almost beyond a shadow of a doubt state that nobody is making any money out of the cash and it is been wisely invested in unite trust (the unite trust companies at my request have provided letter stating no kick back or commissions have been paid - these letter were present at the AGM). The current treasure / and at least the committee of last year and previous years were almost to scared to waist money too many cheques and balance in place not willing to take risk as some members will not alway agree! Understand if money is miss spent the members have the right to ask how could you waist that amount of money - my argument is that the members also have the right to ask how could you just hold onto the cash (wisely) while it could be used for the purpose of cycling in many different areas. Yes PPA has spent money on project funding etc of which only a percentage was well spent 100% well.

 

My feeling is the members need to tell the EXCO they need to spend the money and not just let the account grow. Of course it must be spent wisely on cycling - what the EXCO in the late 90ies (yup I was present at these meetings - the only other member of EXCO who was present was David Bellairs) negotiated with Rotary for a trade of 50 % shares for 50% profit from the Cycle tour - up till then PPA got about 10 % profit from the cycle tour but were 100% owners. The big question is what is wisely? Is it having events like the Giro - spending far more on cycle awareness -employing somebody(ies) with the sole purpose in mind to lobby gov for road safety and land access?

 

As the treasurer - well at an AGM stating we have X million in the account will naturally be applauded - lets face it most sporting bodies are bankrupt in RSA. So you really have to provide good reason to the treasurer why money should be spent. Or have PPA create a policy of what enough as a reserve fund is enough and the rest must be spent on cycling - my suggestion is enough is 1 year to continue running the association for 1 year at any time of the year on the assumption that not 1 cent is received in that year be it from membership or cycle tour etc - thus been able to honor a yearly membership assuming a cyclist joined the association the day before the catastrophic time period started! Ok add a Factor of safety and a make it 2 years! Currently their is still money left in the account to spend! While on the committee I had put these suggestions forward but unfortunately the question of enough and spending wisely always come up!

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MultiQuote

 

Thanks Peter.

 

I thought the 1.5m bumper sticker campaign was a good start. Maybe it could be taken further, using the available funds to make a piece of kit handed out to Argus entrants that signifies a commitment to cycle responsibly and / or shows the original spirit of the Cycle Tour - as a road safety protest.

 

For example, a highly visible cycling jersey - free to all Argus entrants - with a clear message on the back promoting responsible driving and cycling.

 

This way the wearer feels a duty to ride responsibly, as do the motorists they're sharing the road with.

 

This could be paid for in part with money from sponsors who could get their logo on the top or whatever it is.

 

Basically I'm trying to think of a way to spread the safety message - take it from the car bumper and put it on the cyclist, and do this in a way that gets it out there in large numbers. The Argus has 30-40,000 entrants which makes for a great opportunity to do this. People are always very interested in what's in the goodie bag, so why not put something in it that can save lives.

 

I guess an alternative is to hand out something like this with the PPA membership renewal.

 

Maybe a poll and dedicated thread is in order, so that we can canvas for ideas around road safety.

Edited October 25, 2012 by Lucky Luke.

[Guest ctMTBer]

The irony of illegally taken photographs being used to demonstrate "illegal" behaviour by bus drivers is ironic. And amusing.

What gives you the right to break the law to demonstrate others allegedly doing the same?

 

I have read this and other threads and pieces on cycling accidents - especially in Cape Town. The fact is that there is certainly a problem, but until there is mutual respect between cyclists and other road users, nothing good will happen. Accidents will continue to occur and Newton tells us that cyclists will (almost invariably) come off the worst.

 

The majority of reaction to yesterday's tragic accident on this thread has been kneejerk and (perhaps understandably) emotional. Not all GABS drivers are murderers. You know very little of the GABS training programme, yet you make rash assumptions, judgements and statements. Do you think the driver in question did it deliberately? How do you think he feels, having been involved in an accident which took a young man's life? You are looking at this solely from one side. That's unhelpful.

 

Things need to settle down a little if any coherent and progressive response is to come from this incident.

 

Just saying.

 

Anne Observer. (sometime driver, sometime cyclist, not been on a bus for years)

 

FYI I had the camera in a mount on the dash knowing the busses do that every day it was a video running! So I was acctually not doing anything illegal.

 

I have tried to get GabS drivers to behave for 2 years with no luck. So I will find it very difficult to see you side as I have only had problems with the drivers....like them driving behind me IN the cyclelane and hooting for me to get out the way?

Edited October 25, 2012 by ctMTBer

[anoK]

@Annie O

 

Since when is it illegal to take photographs? Are you jumping to the conclusion that the driver was alone in the vehicle and therefore took the photo while driving? Maybe this thread isn't for you.