Police will be able to issue tougher on-the-spot fines for negligent driving in the ACT, in a move cycling advocates say will make the roads safer and encourage more active travel.
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New laws passed by the Legislative Assembly on Thursday will mean drivers who hit and hurt cyclists and other vulnerable road users will face fines of $900.
Drink-riding offences for e-scooters in Canberra were also passed as part of the reform package. Police will also be able to direct people to get off, or not to get on, a scooter or a bicycle under new powers.
Pedal Power ACT chief executive Ian Ross said he was thrilled by the changes, which would encourage drivers to take care on the road and potentially encourage others to take up cycling when they felt the road was made safer by the change.
"Pedal Power thinks it's really important that fines are resolved quickly and expeditiously, and so this reform will have a direct outcome for the vulnerable road user and allow everybody to come to move on with their lives," Mr Ross said.
The Greens' spokeswoman on active travel, Jo Clay, who moved the amendment to incorporate the fine into the government's bill, said she thought the change would help encourage greater take up of active travel modes, such as cycling and walking.
"I think we need people to know that our roads are safer, to feel that our roads are safe. Changing the laws is just one small part of that," Ms Clay said.
"There are lots of things that we need to do to support active travel. ... We need much better separated infrastructure for walking and cycling; we need much better education; we need a whole lot of programs."
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Transport Minister Chris Steel said the new fine would address a gap in the territory's road laws.
"It seeks to capture harm that is serious but not necessarily permanent - like major bruising, black eyes and lacerations. These types of harm are most often experienced by vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists when other road users don't take enough care," Mr Steel said in a statement.
The bill will also introduce a series of new offences, including penalties for not taking due care and attention, or providing reasonable consideration when driving and riding.
Mr Steel earlier told the Legislative Assembly the ACT government would roll out a "highly visible" road safety community education campaign to make sure Canberrans were aware of their obligations to be safe and protect road users.
"The ACT government is committed to vision zero - zero deaths and zero serious injuries on our roads including vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists," he said.
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