Insight feature

THERE are few things more infuriating for a motorist in a traffic jam than seeing a cyclist glide past them on the pavement, ignoring the rules of the road. Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw is proposing new laws to tackle the cyclists who put the lives of pedestrians at risk. Reporters PAUL SMITH and AMY BINNS gauge local reaction to the possible changes:

WE'VE all seen it - a cyclist taking to the pavement to get out of the rat run, sending pedestrians spinning into the road and leaving drivers foaming at the mouth.

Home Secretary Jack Straw wants to introduce £20 on the spot fines imposed on cyclists who flout the rules of the road.

The current laws meant to deter cyclists from mounting the pavement are more than a century old and police are often reluctant to press charges, letting offenders off with a warning.

But Mr Bill Kembery, secretary of the Cycling Campaign for East Lancashire CyCEL, believes motorists have driven cyclists off the road and on to the pavement.

Mr Kembery, of Wilpshire, Blackburn, said: "Sometimes, traffic is so bad that riding on the pavement is the only safe way to get from A to B because motorists are so selfish and greedy, they don't give you enough space.

"Cars parked on the road are a hazard to cyclists and it used to be considered an obstruction but now people aren't prosecuted for it. We don't condone reckless cyclists. They should be fined on the spot, but not people riding responsibly on the pavement." He also feels cycling beginners should be allowed on the pavement until they are used to traffic.

He said: "My wife took up cycling at 50 but we had to go on the pavements occasionally when I was teaching her.

"It's good for children's health if they are more active and it cuts pollution if Mum and Dad aren't running them everywhere but the pavement is the only safe place for them to be."

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph's cycling correspondent Dave Brown, a veteran racing cyclist, agrees. He said: "We are having great difficulty getting youngsters to come into this sport. Parents discourage their children from cycling because they are concerned about the roads."

Mr Brown, of Salesbury, said the answer was more cycle lanes, which would give cyclists a safe alternative to pavements.

He believes the ban is being considered because of traffic-dodging cycle couriers in large cities but said it wasn't appropriate in East Lancashire.

He said: "For a courier to ride through a red light on the pavement is very bad practice but this is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

In East Lancashire, council chambers have reverberated to the sound of arguments over cyclists in recent years - and in particular over the sensitive subject of cycle lanes.

Coun Fred Slater, Conservative spokesman on highways and transport issues in Blackburn and Darwen, has welcomed Jack Straw's crackdown.

He said: "I have witnessed these cyclists whipping along on the pavement and it's a wonder there has not been a serious accident involving a member of the public out shopping. "I don't agree with cycle lanes. They are a joke and in a places like Blackburn and Darwen they are complete waste of taxpayers' money. I have seen very few people using them.

"Cyclists who obey the rules of the road get on all right with things as they stand. I think Jack Straw's plans may be difficult to police but I do support them."

Coun Ashley Whalley, Labour chairman of Blackburn with Darwen's highways and transport committee, also welcomed the move but believes cyclists should be allowed on the pavement in heavy traffic.

He wants to see more cycle lanes to encourage drivers and their families to leave their cars at home and try healthier, pollution-free bikes.

He said: "Because there aren't many cyclists in our area, I think we don't treat them with the respect they deserve."

Chief Inspector Ian Bell, road safety co-ordinator for Lancashire Constabulary, said he was pleased police will now have a middle route between court proceedings and mere warnings.

He said the new rules weren't finalised but he hopes the fines will not apply to young children.

He said: "Accidents between cyclists and pedestrians are probably more common than people realise. We hope in the long term that this will make people think twice about riding on the pavement."

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