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Bike riders outside Melbourne Town Hall
New Melbourne Lord Mayor retires chauffeur car

Sally Capp, Melbourne's freshly-minted Lord Mayor, made the call on her first day to retire the $240 a day mayoral car and use more sustainable transport.

Instead of being driven around town to appointments and meetings, Cr Capp will ride, walk or take public transport.

Bicycle Network applauds Cr Capp for putting the ratepayer funded Caprice out to pasture – it's important that the City of Melbourne helps lead the way in reducing car travel and congestion.

We would love to see Cr Capp out on her bike and Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards has written to the new Lord Mayor inviting her on a bike trip around Melbourne to see some of the best places to ride, and places that need improvement.

An invitation to attend World Bicycle Day celebrations in Hawthorn on Sunday 3 June was also sent.

During the Lord Mayor election Bicycle Network quizzed candidates on their bike policies, with Cr Capp sending the below responses. It's understood that after further considering these questions, Cr Capp decided to drop the mayoral car.

Bicycle Network looks forward to working with Cr Capp on making Melbourne more bike friendly and helping the council achieve the goals in its 2016-2020 bike plan.

Sally Capp's responses to qustions from Bicycle Network

Where will you have protected bike lanes installed in the City of Melbourne during your first term?

I am strongly supportive of Copenhagen-style protected bike lanes - they have been a fantastic addition to our bike network in places like Swanston St, Carlton. If I were elected I would request a briefing on implementation of the city's Bike Plan, and seek assurances that planning and delivery on the next tranche of protected bike lane/s is well underway.

How strongly would you support both docked and dockless share bikes in the City of Melbourne?

The docked bike scheme in Melbourne has been a welcome addition to the city since being implemented around a decade ago, giving cyclists another way to move around the city. I do also support dockless bikes - the more bikes the merrier as far as I'm concerned. If elected I will work with the dockless operators to ensure that we are working together to manage some of the well-publicised issues around their use.

The 2016-2020 City of Melbourne bike plan wants 25 per cent of vehicles entering the CBD during mornings to be bicycles. How will you make sure this is achieved?

By ensuring the plan is properly funded and implemented. We have the blueprint for success here, we just need to ensure we follow it and see it through.

How often would you use the Mayoral car and would you ride a bike to meetings and appearances?

I am a keen cyclist and believe it sends a great message to the community if they see their civic leaders getting on their bike. Because of time pressures and other practicalities, I'll still need to use a car but can promise that if elected people will definitely see me turning up to events and meetings on two wheels.

Herald Sun: Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp scraps official mayoral car

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