Thursday, 22 February 2024

Inkerman Street bike lane

David SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) (09:39): Imagine building a bike lane to nowhere. Imagine being a small business that is already struggling with cost-of-living pressures and is about to have 100 ‍car spaces taken from outside the front of its premises and access limited for a bike lane to nowhere. Inkerman Street has two councils, Glen Eira and Port Phillip. Glen Eira council have already rejected a bike lane, with many residents saying this bike lane makes no sense. Port Phillip want to pursue a bike lane to nowhere. They want to spend millions of dollars of ratepayers money to ultimately provide a bike lane that goes absolutely nowhere. We would call on the council in Port Phillip to not waste taxpayers money.

We know Save Inkerman Street have been running a campaign to try and ensure that this money is not wasted. The iconic Inkerman Hotel’s current owner Scott Roberts says this makes no sense. After 23 years of running his pub he knows this is going to be a struggle for his business. One of two Kosher butchers in Melbourne, Melbourne Kosher Butchers, which serves 600 clients, realise their business will struggle. Jaz Bradley runs an audio equipment business with heavy equipment. She will not be able to get that equipment back into the store. Inkerman Street has many businesses – PCYC, a gym, will struggle. They cannot simply continue to waste taxpayers money.