An Auckland cyclist who narrowly avoided being hit at a busy Manukau intersection yesterday is calling for more action from the council to help make the area safe.
By 1 NEWS Online reporter Brooke Hunter
Cody, who requested to keep his surname anonymous for privacy, captured the near miss moment when a Green Gorilla branded truck ploughed through a red light at the intersection of Onehunga Mall and Neilson Street, just metres away from him around midday yesterday.
He told 1 NEWS from where the pedestrian crossing is situated, if anyone had been walking across at the time the truck drove through they would have "definitely" been hit.
"I started off at normal speed [on my bike] but saw the truck coming through in the corner of my eye so I slowed down. I too would have been hit if I didn't check."
Near the off ramp of the Southern Motorway into Onehunga, Neilson Street alone carries up to 4,000 trucks a day due to its proximity to the ports and airports according to Auckland Transport.
A spokesperson for the Green Gorilla company labelled the incident "extremely disappointing" with plans to undergo an internal investigation into the matter.
"Green Gorilla absolutely wants all road users to be safe at all times. I will ensure appropriate actions will be taken to ensure our community is safe," operation manager William McLaren told 1 NEWS.
The major freight route has lead to nail biting incidents for Cody and other avid cyclists as he says incidents like these are an "almost weekly" occurrence.
He added while he has made efforts in the past to prompt action from Auckland Transport, it's "almost impossible to get a red light camera installed".
As a solution Cody said in busy areas like the troublesome intersection, which are favourable routes for large trucks, he wants to see more separate bike lanes and cameras especially on routes which connect the city's current bike paths.
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