It is true, as one writer states, that VicRoads rules currently state that 'pedestrians must give way to all vehicles at roundabouts'.

But VicRoads also states that 'drivers have a duty of care, as do all road users, to act safely to avoid a collision, and must always signal if turning so their intentions are clear'.

The writer's further suggestion that 'unlike motor vehicles, pedestrians have the opportunity to move a further 20 metres along the roadway to cross, usually with the aid of a crossing'.

Whatever the general merit of this idea, it is hardly workable in a city like Ballarat.

Along Dana Street, between the traffic lights of Doveton and Drummond Streets - five blocks and 650 metres- there is not a single pedestrian crossing. And this is true of many major streets.

But of course all this relates to a larger question of sharing the city.

Why shouldn't a driver stop at a roundabout to allow a pedestrian to cross, or to check what's coming from the right?

The insistence of many drivers on just barrelling ahead, bent on some crazed mission, unaware of or deliberately ignoring other road users, including pedestrians, surely contributes to the high regional road toll.

Near my home, the 'No U-turn' sign is regularly knocked down by cars doing just that, endangering other cars, passengers and pedestrians.

The lack of policing doesn't help, nor does the lack of line-marking by Council and VicRoads itself. 

According to a recent survey of Australian cities, Ballarat ranks very high on community connectedness, i.e. people feeling able to ask someone beyond their families for help in an emergency.

It is a very great shame this community feeling and awareness does not extend to road use.

We are all drivers, walkers, shoppers and citizens here.

And perhaps VicRoads needs to look again at its rule book.

Darryl Cloonan, Ballarat

On New Year's Day our club hosted the inaugural Ballarat Cycling Carnival in Victoria Park.

The event was a huge success attracting over 130 competitors with almost 100 of these from outside of Ballarat.

But it was the support that we received that was truly remarkable.

Organising a first-time event of this nature is difficult but it was made a lot easier with the support from the Ballarat City Council, Visit Ballarat, Cycling Victoria, The Courier and other media, sponsors, the Ballarat community and our members.

The carnival proved to be an excellent medium to showcase the beautifully resurfaced cycling circuit in Victoria Park and a suitable lead-in event to the Road Nationals.

With further cycling infrastructure upgrades planned for the city, the Ballarat Cycling Carnival can only get bigger and better in years to come.

Tim Canny, Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club Committee Member

We all know how exact a passport photo must be with all those finicky requirements of size, image quality, facial expression, etc. However, if you, like me, have any sort of eye injury or perhaps congenital imperfection whereby your eyes do not exactly align to each other, beware. You may be humiliated in the post office where you submit your application as the staff discuss whether your photo will be rejected or not because "both your eyes are not looking at the camera, only one". This happened to me on the 4th of January when I submitted my passport renewal at a Ballarat Post Office.

I was told I would need to get a report from my doctor or optometrist explaining in great detail why I could not train both eyes on the camera at the same time. I thought we lived in a democracy however what sort of a democracy is it that accepts or rejects people on the basis of a physical imperfection?  

 This has never occurred on any previous passport application. Why now? What sort of slippery slope have we stepped on? So, to anybody who may have an imperfection with their eye alignment, or God knows what else, just be aware of what you may have to go through when simply exercising your democratic right of having a passport. 

Wayne Braybrook, Alfredton