Green Bike Campaign
By Chrys Ayley
The Eastbourne community has rallied together to launch a new initiative to supply bicycles free of charge for free in the Eastbourne Bays area. The Green Bike initiative, a joint project between the Rotary Club of Pencarrow and Eastbourne Community Police is the brainchild of Constable Anthony Harmer, Eastbourne?s Community policeman. Constable Harmer said the idea Green Bike concept originated in Porirua and he thought the project would work in Eastbourne because of its ?Awesome sense of community?. Constable Harmer approached the Rotary club of Pencarrow to see if it could help and the result is the Green Bike Campaign, likely to be launched in May, which will see bikes stored in stands ready to be used for free and dropped off at another stand. Pencarrow Rotary Club public relations director John Stevenson said 28 bikes have been donated by the community and delivered to the police station. They are currently being refurbished by people doing community service and when finished will be a very distinctive ?Tree frog green?. Hutt City Council has been very supportive and has helped with finance for 40 cycle helmets which are a distinctive fluoro yellow, he said. The council has also financed signage and upgraded the bike stand at Day?s Bay and will do the same at Rimu Street and the South end of Muritai Road. Hutt City Council road safety coordinator Anna Blomquist said the council is keen to promote sustainability and it is interesting the initiative for the scheme, which will be self-policing, came from the community. ?If the community takes ownership then I think it?s going to be quite successful,? she said.
