If you’ve noticed police officers riding around Wyndham on mountain bikes, you’re not seeing things – they are part of a new operation being conducted by Westgate Highway Patrol.
The first mountain bike patrol kicked off on August 26. During its three days of operation, 52 infringements were issued to motorists sitting in traffic. Senior Sergeant Damien Madden said it was the first time a bicycle patrol had taken place in the region.
“They’ve been around for quite a while in areas like Melbourne, where there’s a lot of traffic, but we’ve never had it across the Westgate region,” he said.
The Westgate region incorporates Wyndham, Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay.
“Our officers ride up the bike lane and knock on the car window if they see drivers doing something wrong,” Senior Sergeant Madden said. “We’re trying to get innovative to deal with the issues.
“Over the three shifts we issued 27 tickets for people being on their mobile phones while driving, 11 for not wearing seatbelts, and seven for riding bikes without helmets. The rest were for miscellaneous things.
“In the first day alone, we found 12 people on their phones. A lot is people trying to read their phone while driving … some were texting or checking their Facebook, which is extremely frustrating.”
Senior Sergeant Madden said the patrols would continue.
Another Westgate Highway Patrol initiative, Operation Prevalent on August 30 and 31, focused on road safety, crime prevention and crime detection.
More than 1300 vehicle plates were scanned and more than 58 breath tests were administered.
