Children aged 12 and under will be able to ride their bikes on the footpath under a series of road rule changes proposed by the Minister of Transport.
Public consultation on two packages opened today, looking to change some of New Zealand's every day road rules.
Under the first proposal, introduced by Transport Minister Chris Bishop, children aged 12 and under would be allowed to ride their bikes on footpaths. Currently, people on bikes are generally not allowed to ride on the footpath, regardless of age.
“Many children already ride on footpaths, although the current rule does not allow them to. Bringing the law into line with reality, with appropriate guidance and expectations around responsible riding, will help families make safer choices," Bishop said.
He acknowledged that some pedestrians, especially older people and those in the disability community, may have concerns.
"Education and clear guidance will be important, and parents and caregivers will need to ensure children ride at safe speeds and give way to pedestrians.”
A mandatory passing gap of one to 1.5 metres, depending on the speed limit, for motorists driving past cyclists and horse riders was another proposed change.
Allowing e-scooters to use cycle lanes was also up for discussion.
Another proposed rule would require drivers travelling under 60km/h to give way to buses pulling out from stops.
Signage rules would also be clarified so councils can better manage berm parking.
“For most New Zealanders, transport rules are not something they think about until they run into them,” Bishop said.
“We are fixing the basics by making sure the rules are clear, practical, and reflect how people actually use our roads every day.
"This is about safer school rides, smoother bus trips, clearer guidance for drivers, and fewer compliance headaches for truck operators."
Most of these changes were featured in the Transport Agency's Accessible Streets consultation package, touted by then-Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter in 2020.
A second set of rule changes would be focused on heavy vehicles.
It included the removal of some permit requirements so rental operators can move empty truck and trailers between depots; allowing Class 1 licence holders to drive zero-emissions vehicles with a gross laden weight up to 7500 kilograms; allowing Class 2 licence holders to drive electric buses with more than two axles with a gross laden weight up to 22,000 kilograms; more practical signage requirements for load pilot vehicles; and allowing overseas heavy vehicle licence holders to convert their licences.
“These are practical, commonsense changes. They give operators more certainty to get on with their work, reduce compliance headaches, and support the transition to low-emissions vehicles, all while keeping safety front and centre," Bishop said.
Bishop encouraged parents, cyclists, bus users, disability advocates, truck drivers, transport operators, councils and other everyday road users to submit feedback via the NZTA website on the proposals.
"Good rules are built on commonsense feedback from people who live by them.”
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