PAVEMENT CYCLING
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYINGPavement cycling is dangerous, anti-social, illegal, and a criminal act!Cycling is a road carriageway activity for a vehicle classed in law as a ‘carriage’ Highways Act 1835 Section 72 – Rule 64 of the Highway CodeThe government is actively promoting cycling as an alternative means of transport to reduce public dependence on private motor cars, improve personal fitness and reduce environmental pollution. The overall object is said to be to increase cycle use in the UK from 2% of journeys in 2011, to 10% of all journeys in 2025, and 25% by 2050In March 2013 London Mayor Boris Johnson published his ‘Vision for Cycling in London’ and appointed journalist Andrew Gilligan as his Cycling Commissioner. In April 2013 the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group published its ‘Get Britain Cycling’ report. Parliament debated the issue for four hours on Monday 2 September 2013. Some £100million is on offer from TfL to enable London Boroughs to improve road safety for cyclists..A national ‘Bikeability’ scheme is sponsored by the Department for Transport to teach safe cycling on the roads, administered through local authorities. Its training programme concentrates on youngsters of school age.Yet the danger to pedestrians of pavement cycling ‘goes without saying’. It is barely acknowledge in the above reports. It was mentioned only once in the Parliamentary debate. The issue is not addressed at all in any of the central or local government cycling publicity.Enforcing the law against pavement cycling is the responsibility of Britain’s police forces under the overall command of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, since road laws are part of the criminal law. Yet it seems police policy to view pavement cycling as a ‘petty crime’, not worth bothering about, and certainly not worth any serious policing effort. As Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee commented in its October 2009 report on ‘Improving road safety for pedestrians and cyclists in Great Britain’ “Enforcing cycling offences was typically not high on the agenda of most police forces.”The legal sanctions against the crime of pavement cycling reflect this ‘petty crime’ attitude. Police officers can issue an on-the-spot £30 Penalty Notice to anyone over the age of 16 for cycling ‘irresponsibly’ on the pavement. Children under the age of criminal responsibility (10) cannot be prosecuted. The maximum penalty the courts can impose for causing death by dangerous cycling (on the pavements or on the road) is £2500. Pavement cycling occurs because a) many pavement cyclists believe (or claim) that cycling is a ‘pedestrian’ activity which is allowed on the pavements, b) most cyclists use the pavements because of the perceived danger of cycling on the roads, c) many pedestrians either believe the same thing or are pressured into ‘tolerating’ pavement cycling, d) there are no public notices declaring that pavement cycling is illegal.In 2007 a law was introduced banning smoking in public places. That law is widely respected, and many premises display a simple notice reinforcing the law. A similar simple sign widely displayed on our streets could have a similar effect to eliminate pavement cycling, if only police and local authorities would spend a fraction the money they have available for improving cycling safety on the roads - to keep cycling off the pavements. Transport for London is said to be developing a new ‘Pedestrian Safety Action Plan’ which should address the threat of pavement cycling to pedestrian safety.The message to cyclists must be: ‘’KEEP DEATH OFF THE ROADS – BUT DON’T BRING IT ONTO THE PAVEMENTS!”Tony Purton, Ealing W13
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