CYCLING

Page 1 | 2 | 3
 

Cyclists who fail to lock up their bicycles in Worcester could find them taken - by police. Officers are considering confiscating unlocked bicycles from the city's streets in an attempt to stop them being stolen by real thieves. West Mercia Constabulary claims the shock tactic' is necessary following a sharp rise in bicycle thefts.

The force admits cyclists who leave their bikes unsecured have not broken any law, and say they will eventually be returned. Acting inspector Paul Crumpton said, "While we clearly anticipate objections from some quarters, we believe it is now time to take strong action in bringing home the message to cyclists that it is in their interests to be far more pro-active in looking after their property."

If a member of the public discovers their bicycle missing, they should report it to the police, who will then compare it to bikes already held in the property store at Worcester Police Station in Castle Street. The police said the aim was not to discourage people from using bikes, but to encourage them to take steps to protect them.

There would be no fee for retrieving a bike from police and owners would be reunited with their property as quickly as they could attend the police station to identify it. Specific officers will not be assigned to be on bike patrol', it would be the responsibility of all officers on duty in the city, that might come across an unlocked and unattended bicycle. (Source: Worcester News, Aug/07)

Proposals to open St Peter's Street to cyclists before 10am and after 5pm have been thrown out by councillors. The issue was under consideration after the proposal was put forward by Derby Cycling Group. The cyclists said that opening up St Peter's Street at off-peak times would link-up cycle routes across the city, but council leader Chris Williamson gave his assurance that it will not happen.

Tory group leader Councillor Philip Hickson said, "The pedestrianisation of our city centre is one of the great things about Derby. We don't want to see it weakened. You can't hear a cyclist if you're deaf, you can't see a cyclist if you're blind, and you can't move out of the way quickly enough if you have mobility problems. If cyclists can't get off their bikes and push them down the street then I think it's pretty poor."

The council consulted traders in St Peter's Street. Eight of the nine responses were in favour of cyclists, although one raised concerns that it would encourage bag-snatching. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service also approved, but the police opposed the plan. A police spokesman said, "We seem to be diluting the benefits of having a pedestrianised area, which is often busy before 10am. It is a relatively small pedestrianised area and should be maintained as such."

Although cycling has been banned for years, people regularly flout the rules and in 2001, police began a clampdown, handing out £30 fixed penalty fines. But the Government's national strategy recommends that cycling should be permitted in pedestrianised areas wherever possible. Councillor Lucy Care said, "This was a request to allow cycling only at times when motor vehicles are already allowed. Nobody was suggesting that people should be able to cycle down there at 2pm in the afternoon." As they do now. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Nov/06)

North Yorkshire county council used £100,000 from a Government fund and spent two months resurfacing a footpath to encourage cyclists to use it as well as pedestrians. But weeks after its completion, signs have been put up along a 200-yard stretch asking riders to dismount because part of it is too narrow. John Halton, a Whitby town councillor, described the scheme as a complete waste of money. "I cannot believe that £100,000 of taxpayers' money has been spent on something which cannot even be used," he said.

A safety report commissioned by the council before the work took place concluded that there would be insufficient room for cyclists and pedestrians to use it at the same time. Mr Halton added, "Because there is not enough room for both cyclists and walkers, cyclists are being told they cannot ride on a path designed for them. It is a complete farce. What's the point of a cycle path when you can't cycle?"

Elwyn Williams, the county's transport strategy manager, said, "The path needs to be at least two and a half metres wide to be deemed as safe and when that is not the case we are asking riders to dismount as the cost of widening the path would be too great. As long as cyclist adhere to the signs then there should be no problems." He means don't cycle on the cycle path. (Source: Daily Telegraph, Jun/06)

Cycling paramedics have been banned from a new shopping centre in case they knock down shoppers who then sue for compensation. The paramedics have been told by managers of the Chapelfield centre in Norwich that they must push them to patients, despite fears that the extra minutes could cost lives.

A spokesman for the East Anglian Ambulance Service said that the bicycle crews had cut response times in the city centre from eight minutes to three. He said, "We have one mountain bike equipped with a siren and flashing lights to get people out of the way and a team of four paramedics who take turns to use it. They are all highly proficient, trained cyclists and, in more than five years, I have not heard of them knocking anyone over."

Mike Redfearn, the operations manager for Chapelfield, said, "It was agreed that the cyclists can operate but we have asked that they dismount because we feel riding would be too dangerous with a large amount of people." (Source: Daily Telegraph)