Witnesses said the truck smashed a car after avoiding a cyclist on the Island Bay cycleway on Monday night

A truck crashed into a car after avoiding a cyclist on the Island Bay cycleway, sparking fears of worse accidents to come on the contentious route in Wellington.

John Wierenga​ said he arrived at the crash scene, near Tamar St, probably two minutes after the crash at dusk.

A man driving a light Toyota truck said he had swerved to avoid a cyclist.

ROBERT KITCHIN/FAIRFAX NZ Island Bay residents air their views on the new cycleway in December.

"I asked him, 'Was the cyclist on the road?' and he said 'Yeah'."

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The car was parked in the area between the cycleway and road. The driver left his details on the car's windscreen, but the cyclist was nowhere to be seen.

PAUL EAGLE/ SUPPLIED The truck driver told John Wierenga and Paul Eagle he swerved to avoid a cyclist.

"The cyclist probably wasn't even aware that anything had happened," Wierenga said.

Wierenga, a long-time Island Bay resident, said the cycleway was a disaster "designed by loonies".

​Residents and councillors opposed to the $1.7 million project have claimed it is a waste of money, forced upon locals despite a majority opposed to it.

PAUL EAGLE The crash was the second in two days, Eagle said.

Some cyclists have also criticised the design, and in April the issue fired up someone enough to apparently scatter nails all over the route.

​Wierenga said that, every time he entered or left his driveway, it was anybody's guess as to what kind of hazards would be present.

"You take your life in your hands. The carriageway's so narrow that you can't pass a truck of a bus. You've got to stop at a convenient place."

ROBERT KITCHIN/ FAIRFAX NZ Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown riding the controversial cycleway in Island Bay.

Wellington city councillor Paul Eagle was on his way home when he encountered the upset truck driver.

"He was obviously going to the tip," Eagle said. "He was a bit shaken, to be honest. He said he swerved to miss the cyclist."

Eagle said he joined a group of about four locals to sweep shattered glass and debris off the street. He was told another accident happened nearby just a day earlier.

ROBERT KITCHIN/ FAIRFAX NZ The Parade in Island Bay was transformed into the new-look cycleway.

"It's the first winter that we'll have with the cycleway. It's not looking good."

The council's transport committee will address the cycleway on June 30.

"The next thing that will happen is there'll be a death," Eagle said. "It's completely avoidable if we apply common sense."

A bone-headed cycleway design was holding back cycling for the rest of Wellington, he said. An interim solution was needed to give more room to buses, cars and trucks to navigate.

The driver was not immediately available for comment.