Melbourne cyclists have raised concerns for their safety after the fire brigade was called to remove oil from Capital City Trail twice in one day.

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) said it was called to a spot on the trail near Dynon Road, in West Melbourne, to remove the oil from the track early on Tuesday morning and again about 6:00pm.

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During peak hours, 924 cyclists an hour use the stretch of bike path, according to Melbourne City Council.

Edward Hore from the Australian Cycle Alliance said it showed a level of contempt for cyclists in the city.

"The danger of this is where they've done it is an extremely important commuting route that cyclists are using to keep themselves safe," he said.

"This is so unfathomable. People complain about cyclists being on the road, so when they go and use a path they endanger their lives on a path."

Mr Hore said he did not believe the spill could have been an accident, because the oil was spread "backwards and forwards in a zig-zag fashion".

The MFB spokesman said the brigade reported the incident to police. A Victoria Police spokeswoman could not confirm if the complaint was being investigated.

Twitter user Matt Vicars called on police to investigate, tweeting that the spill was "a premeditated act of aggression" that "could seriously injure people".

Responding on Twitter, Victoria Police suggested he contact the local council.

Melbourne City Council said it arranged for a contractor to clean the oil from the area, as soon as it was made aware of the incident.

"It is illegal to dump or discharge oil, and in relevant cases, investigations may be undertaken by our local laws team," a spokesman for the council said.



Oil spill follows tack attacks

A spokeswoman for advocacy group Melbourne Commuter, Jenica Brooke, said the latest incident pointed to a troubling culture of not taking cyclists' needs and concerns seriously.

For a number of years, cyclists contended with thousands of 10–12 millimetre tacks being thrown on Yarra Boulevard in Kew.

The tacks have been dumped on the road for two years. ( Supplied )

"It's hard not to conclude that the police take cycling safety less seriously than other road user safety, when you consider not only this response, but also in the context of the police still not having caught the Kew Boulevard tacker, years after that issue started," she said.

"If something like this happened on a major road, it would be national news, and you can bet the culprit would be caught very quickly."

VicRoads has spent thousands of dollars sweeping the route with magnets, in what it described as an "incredible frustration for everyone".