Fearful of traffic chaos during April's Commonwealth Games, organisers thought long and hard about a solution but the wheels have well and truly fallen off their efforts all because of a pink cartoon bike.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Wednesday found the need to apologise over an animated ad featuring a tradesman riding a child's bicycle to work to avoid congestion during the upcoming Gold Coast event.
The ad is part of the Get Set For The Games campaign which urges locals to consider alternative forms of transport between April 4 and 15.
But the campaign, which organisers say was meant to be humorous, has upset at least one tradie who reckons riding to work isn't an option.
"There wouldn't be a Commonwealth Games without the work we've done and to now tell us to get on our bikes is extremely rude ... it's just a spit in the face for tradies," an indignant Mitchell Hemmings told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
The ad also features doctors power walking in scrubs and a pole vaulter vaulting over the Surfers Paradise sign with a woman clinging to his back, before a pelican and a surfer are seen planning their travel with a phone app.
In the scene which so offended Mr Hemmings, the animated tradesman pedals past the gridlocked traffic with some tools in his flowery basket on the front of the bike while the doctors stride alongside him.
Ms Palaszczuk apologised to anyone upset by the ad.
"I don't want anyone to feel that, you know, that people are having a laugh at them," she told reporters on the Gold Coast.
"If people are feeling that way, I apologise, and I think Commonwealth Games people should apologise as well.
"But let me also make it very clear, that the Get Ready for the Games (campaign) is about essentially making sure people know their transport options."
Mark Peters, chief executive of the Games' organising committee, said the ad was now subject to review.
"It was all done because sometimes you need humour in life," he said.
"You don't want to insult people, and as the premier said if that's happened, certainly across the partnership, that's an apology."
Ms Palaszczuk said a public transport plan for the international sporting event would be considered by cabinet on Monday, during its first meeting of the year.
Share
