Bus drivers and cyclists will get to step into each others’ shoes at a workshop tomorrow (Wednesday).
The Bus Bike Workshop has been organised by NPDC's Let's Go programme and the North Taranaki Cycle Advocates Network with support from Roadsafe Taranaki, to enable cyclists and bus drivers to understand the issues that each other faces on the roads.
Also taking part are drivers from Tranzit coachlines.
"Our aim is for both cyclists and bus drivers understand better the challenges they both face when negotiating the city's streets," says Let's Go Project Manager Carl Whittleston.
"The cyclists will drive a bus so they can see first-hand the difficulties that drivers face, such as their visibility limitations, how much the tail of the bus swings out when they turn, and the accelerating and stopping distances.
"Then we'll turn the tables and have the bus drivers buddy up with cyclists for a 30-minute cycle through the city, taking a variety of urban routes with a mix of bus lanes, bike lanes and road shoulders."
A similar workshop for cyclists and truck drivers will be organised later in the year.
Bus Bike Workshops have been held in Canterbury, Wellington and Auckland. "They're a great opportunity for road users to see what it's like on the other side of the windscreen, and to get the two groups talking to each other," says Mr Whittleston.
