SHANE Rattenbury has announced ACTION buses will be fitting bike racks to all of its articulated and steer-tag buses, meaning 98% of buses will be soon be able to carry bikes, up from the current 84% percent figure.

“This is great news for the travelling public, who will soon be able to ride part of their journey on a bicycle and part of it on a bus and be virtually guaranteed that the bus will be fitted with a rack,” Shane said.

“As the articulated and steer-tag buses are frequently used for the key inter-town routes, this will be especially beneficial to commuters.

“We have undertaken a comprehensive safety and risk assessment resulting in a change to the previous policy that some ACTION buses were too long to be safely fitted with the racks. The only buses that will not be able to carry bikes are the short “Dennis Dart” buses – of which there are only 9 active in the ACTION fleet – as they are structurally unable to carry the racks.

“I am also happy to announce improved policies to assist riders of electric bikes. Provided the bicycle weighs less than 25kg, it will be permitted on ACTION bike racks. Previously, electric bikes were not permitted on ACTION buses at all.

“It is important that we do everything we can to facilitate sustainable travel in this city. Easy interchanging between modes – whether it is bike to bus, or bus to light rail – is a key aspect of this. “