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A MAN who fell and sliced his arm on blade-like bike racks on Beaufort Street has lodged a compensation claim against Vincent city council.

The suit has prompted the council to remove the 21 racks, which resemble boomerangs embedded in the footpath.

Installed in 2012 at a cost of $15,000 the racks prompted “numerous complaints” because of their near-invisibility head-on (they’re just 1cm thick) so the council spent another $6000 on garish pavement stickers.

Now, it will spend $9500 replacing the racks with thicker pipe-style racks and another $6000 on more stickers. The company that supplies the skinny racks—Leda Securabike—says they’re supposed to be grouped in clusters where they’re more visible or flush to a wall.

by DAVID BELL