These bars – known as “banana bars” were, I am told, installed by the Brisbane City Council in order to improve the safety of our bike paths.  Unfortunately, they seem to have had the opposite effect.

The Bicycle Users Group of which I am a member has complained to Council that the banana bars are actually a hazard to cyclists.  They are not always visible particularly in low light and it is easy for a cyclist to ride into them.  I understand that they are now being removed.

It is important to report these sorts of hazards to the Council or the Department of Transport whenever you have a near miss.

The law surrounding the liability of road authorities is complex.  The Court has always been reluctant to interfere with decisions of the road authorities about how best to distribute public funds on our infrastructure.  It is also mindful that we have many footpaths, bridges, roads and bike paths – Council does not have the resources to be constantly inspecting them for faults.

We see some awful injuries resulting from the unsafe condition of roads including injuries to pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.  Sometimes we can help and sometimes we cannot.  We have much better prospects of success if someone has told the Council about the defect before the accident.  More importantly, it is obviously better still if it is rectified before any accident happens.