The son of a cyclist killed 17 years ago has told the Wellington City Council, on behalf of his father, that the capital needs cycleways and it is a question of ethics.
By Justin Wong for Local Democracy Reporting
Matthew Eyre stepped up to the speaker’s podium during hearings on the council’s annual plan on Tuesday afternoon.
He first thanked the councillors for their work, saying everyone in the city should be grateful for the job they do. He wasn’t seeking any specific funding, but was speaking on behalf of his late father, Desmond, with “my grief and my broken heart”.
Desmond Leonard Eyre, 61, was killed in June 2008 while cycling at Silverstream in Upper Hutt, when the driver of a ute parked next to a Fergusson Dr bus stop opened the door, striking Desmond’s bike. He was “catapulted” into the path of an oncoming truck and died from his injuries, according to a coroner’s report in 2010.
The ute driver, Sean Geerlings, was later found guilty of careless driving causing death.
The Wellington council’s annual plan public consultation asked respondents whether to cut its $10.5 million cycleway budget and kick back a proposed cycle lane on Victoria St.
Matthew Eyre told councillors his father died under the wheels of a truck because there had been no cycle lane.
Although Desmond’s death happened 17 years ago, none of his family were able able to get over it: “You may not like cyclists, you may not like cycle lanes, you may not want to fund them. How many more people are going to have to go through the personal hell that I’ve been living with for 17 years because of some procedural niceties?”
Eyre added the city needed segregated cycle lanes not only to get cyclists off the road but for motorists as well. He had lived in places economically worse-off than New Zealand, but said they still had comprehensive segregated cycle lane networks because they understood the value of human life.
“You didn’t have to look into the eyes of the man who was driving the truck that ran your dad over, and it wasn’t his fault,” he said. “My poor dad was doored into the path of the truck, and we’re talking 10 grandkids, five great-grandkids, three kids, girlfriend, ex-wife, girlfriend’s family, eight brothers and sisters, all their kids. Everyone misses that man everyday of our lives.
“I understand these issues on a deeper and more profound level than you will ever know, because I had to bury my father that day.
“This city is not safe for cyclists and it’s your responsibility.”
After Desmond Eyre and police Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald were killed by trucks while cycling in the space of several days in June 2008, more than 300 cyclists took part in a memorial ride from Parliament to the Petone roundabout, along Thorndon Quay and Hutt Rd.
Tuesday marks the final day of the council’s annual plan hearings. In total, 170 people made oral submissions.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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