Wet paint ruins R60 000 bicycle

Published Jul 31, 2015

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Cape Town - A Cape Town cyclist’s bike arrived home with a new lick of paint - and the rider is not happy. Abbas Harris, whose unlucky time in the saddle began last year when he was mugged near his home in Mount View, contacted the Cape Argus when his R60 000 bike was splashed with green paint after travelling on a freshly painted cycle lane.

“This is just unbelievable,” he said.

But the city said it is unaware of the incident, adding that the contractor working on the street reported that numerous motorists and cyclists had ignored the cones and signage warning them against travelling on the lanes.

It was June 25, and Harris - who travels daily between Mountview and his workplace at the V&A Waterfront - had hit the tarmac at the end of a long day.

It was only when he arrived home that he saw that the underside of his bike’s frame, his shoes and parts of his cycling gear were covered in paint. When it finally clicked - painters had been busy on Lower Main Road, giving the existing lanes a coat of green paint for the past four weeks - he was furious.

“It was not cordoned off long enough before the paint dried,” he said referring to the brightly-coloured lanes.

“(By the time I realised what had happened) the base of the bike was green with this asphalt paint and it is as hard as nails.”

The next day Harris noticed not only cyclists, but vehicles, leaving behind track marks in the still wet paint. He wondered how many other bikes had been ruined after travelling along the lanes.

The Cape Argus received another complaint through social media, but the user wanted to remain anonymous.

But Harris said the damage to his bike and gear amounted to about R70 000. He had gone to a local cycling shop to see if the paint could be removed, but was told he would have to buy a new bicycle.

He is holding the city accountable, demanding it pay the cost of replacing it.

But the city’s mayco member for Transport, Brett Herron, said the incident had not been reported to the city. He confirmed that the lanes were repainted last month and that despite being cordoned off with cones, the contractor reported that a number of motorists and cyclists had ignored the cones. “It may be possible that this cyclist counted among one of those who ignored the signage. We will, however, only know for sure once he reports it to the city.”

He added that the cyclist could also lodge a claim for damages if he believed the city’s contractor was liable for the damage.

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Cape Argus

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