Cyclist's 'unacceptable' taxi stunt leaves road users in disbelief: 'It's madness'
One cycling advocate has been left 'furious' over the incident in Sydney's southeast.
A photo of a taxi has left other road users in disbelief after it was seen driving down a busy street with a bicycle hanging out the back of its rear passenger door.
In a photo shared by Dash Cam Owners Australia on Saturday, the driver can be seen navigating a roundabout in Sydney's Kensington with the back door wide open.
In NSW it is an offence to cause a hazard to a person or vehicle by having a door open, and can result in a $349 fine. Drivers with an unsecured and overhanging load can face a fine of $464 and three demerit points. NSW Police confirmed to Yahoo News Australia it was aware of the vision and are conducting inquiries.
Yet Edward Hore, President of the Australian Cycling Alliance, said that if the bike was put in the vehicle by a cyclist, who he suggested had most likely broken down, they should be ashamed of their actions.
"I was furious when I saw that photo," he told Yahoo News. "They're literally putting a car door into the bike lane – and it looks like it's by a cyclist. It's madness."
He said if a cyclist was responsible, they should cop the brunt of the punishment instead of the driver, who he believes needs re-educating on safe driving.
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Hore said it appeared the cyclist didn't know how to remove the bike wheel, which he said cost $1500, or didn't have the required tools to do so. "He should have booked a taxi van, there were so many better solutions for them. Their cycling mates need to let them know this is not acceptable."
Other plausible theories Hore suggested for why the bike was in the taxi are that the bike had been transported from the airport after arriving in Sydney or that it had been stolen.
He said such incidents discouraged other cyclists from riding and it went against everything he'd been working for in the past 13 years representing Australian cyclists.
Yahoo News Australia has contacted Silver Service taxis regarding the image.
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