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A change to the law will make it safer for children to cycle to school from Tuesday. But one Shell Cove parent thinks the changes don’t go far enough As of Friday, children aged up to 16 years old are be able to ride on the footpath, as long as they keep left and give way to pedestrians. Previously, once children passed the age of 12 they had to cycle on the road – or risk a $112 fine. A supervising adult can also ride on the footpath. Adrian Hodgson’s 10-year-old daughter Isabelle rides to school and he said it was “reassuring” that the age limit had been increased to 16. But he questioned the need for an age limit. “I’ve always thought it was a bit of a silly rule, that there was an age limit at all,” Mr Hodgson said. READ MORE: People talk of running over cyclists He said people’s cycling skills can vary, giving the example of a 22-year-old learner being forced onto the road. “The 22 year-old should probably not be riding on the road until they’re competent,” he said. “If you’re riding slowly or your riding skills are not necessarily up to par then you shouldn’t be made to ride in traffic.” In the five years to 2017, two cyclists under 16 were killed on NSW roads. The change was sparked by an online petition from Callum Gordon, after concerns daughter Macy would have to start cycling on the road.

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