Media Releases

New Zealanders have until the end of the week to nominate their favourite cycling project or cycling champion for a CAN Cycle-Friendly Award.

The second national Cycle-Friendly Awards aim to celebrate initiatives that promote cycling and create a cycle-friendly environment at both national and local levels. The awards are administered by the Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) and proudly supported by SPARC.

There are four award categories:

Toast for NZ's most efficient vehicle
New Zealand's most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicle will be toasted outside Parliament Buildings on Wednesday. And no, it won't have taken part in the EnergyWise Rally.

Cyclists will assemble to celebrate the benefits of the bicycle, having been denied the opportunity to compete in the four day rally.

Wellington cyclist Patrick Morgan, a member of the Cycling Advocates Network (CAN), tried to enter the rally and found that the rules excluded bicycles.

The Cycling Advocates Network (CAN), the national group representing cyclists as road users, today welcomed the Government's road safety package. CAN Campaigns Secretary Robert Ibell stated that "The proposals are a significant improvement over the status quo, and we offer our qualified support. We're disappointed, however, that the Government has not committed itself to working towards a vision of zero fatalities."

The Government's draft transport strategy is welcome because it is looking at a transport system where people have real choices about how they move around, said the Cycling Advocates' Network (CAN) today.

"The strategy starts to redress the imbalance in funding that has seen people encouraged to drive and created conditions where biking, walking or taking public transport is too unattractive" said CAN chairperson Jane Dawson.

Paul Doherty has been appointed Executive Director of Cycling Support N.Z. Inc.
He will take up the position on 22 April 2002.

Mr Doherty is 37 and graduated from the University of Auckland with a first class honours degree in Civil Engineering. His professional experience has been in the design and construction of highways both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom where he lived and worked for six years.

The Cycling Advocates Network (CAN) said it was delighted with this evening's announcement by Mark Gosche, Minister of Transport, that the Government is to develop a national cycling strategy, something which CAN has been pushing for over the last few years.

Cyclists today expressed outrage about a Land Transport Safety Authority rule change that allows visibility from car side windows to be reduced by half.

The national organisation for bicycle tourists and commuters, the Cycling Advocates Network (CAN), today lent its support to Nelson MP Nick Smith's call for a mountain-bike track through the Kahurangi National Park.

New government policies and more resources are needed to give New Zealanders a better choice of transport options, according to the Cycling Advocates Network (CAN).

CAN is using National Bike Wise Week as an opportunity to call on national and local government to adopt policies that give people the freedom to get around by bicycle. CAN wants to see a national network of cycle routes developed, suitable for commuting, recreation and tourism.

The Ministry of Health should spend some of its proposed financial support for low income people on supplying them with bicycles, national cycling group, the Cycling Advocates Network (CAN), said today.

"Anyone who cycles regularly gets real health benefits", said CAN campaigns secretary, Robert Ibell. "Regular cyclists enjoy a level of fitness equivalent to people ten years younger. And the health benefits gained from regular cycling far outweigh the risks from crashes".