Mayor guilty of cyclist’s death

Kyivan cyclists recently picketed in front of the city’s administration building. They accused the Mayor, Leonid Chernovetsky, of homicide. Magnolia-TV reported that a KIA car knocked over a cyclist driving on Paton bridge — he was killed on the spot. The driver tried to persuade investigators that the alleged victim was driving in an irregular manner, and so he didn’t have the time to react. The KIA hit the bicycle at high speed and pulled it along the road. However, the investigation found that the place was next to a strike breaker, a fence that separates the pavement from the bridge roadway. In other words, the late cyclist followed the rules of the road.  

No, Chernovetsky didn’t abandon his Maybach for a humble KIA. He wasn’t the person who sent the cyclist off to a better world. His fault is that he repeatedly gave (and broke) promises to create bicycle lanes. Just two years ago, in late June or early July 2008, the very active Kyiv Cyclist Association arranged, for the umpteenth time, mass protests at the entrance to the metropolitan municipality. Its participants urged the Mayor to fulfill his electoral promise regarding bicycle paths.  

Kyiv is the only European capital without a bicycle path. And this despite the fact that there are some 15 thousand people, according to the cyclists, who regularly travel by bicycle, despite the poor conditions for it.

During the first action, the city official came out to bicycle enthusiasts and showed documents signed by bureaucrats who consented to the bicycle paths’ creation. However, the most important signature, that of Mr. Chernovetsky himself, was absent. So cyclists staged a picketing for him personally, and the Mayor’s signature appeared at last. Soon the map of the city was published, on which streets designated bicycle paths had been marked.

At the time it seemed a victory for, as it is now fashionable to say, civil society — citizens managed to see their interests pushed through by a politician. The decision was aimed at saving the lives of cyclists, who often died because of the lack of proper infrastructure. Two years ago there was a cause celebre, when famous translator Anatol Perepadia, was hit and killed by a car while riding his bicycle. The person responsible was never found.  

But promises remained just promises. During their last protest action cyclists met with Oleksandr Popov, Deputy Chairman of the Kyiv State City Administration and de facto main manager at the City Administration. He accepted their demands and promised to investigate the problem. I would like to believe that his investigation will come out in favor of the cyclists.