PAVEMENTS ARE FOR PEDESTRIANS – 5
To many pedestrians last Friday’s newspaper headlines “Minister: Let cyclists ride on pavement” will be seen as a body blow to pedestrian safety. For cycling groups it will undoubtedly be hailed as a ‘freedom charter to ride on the pavements’. There is, however, more to it than that..DfT minister Robert Goodwill was responding to complaints from cycling campaigners that during their recent ‘Operation Safeway’ blitz on road safety in London, the police have been ‘over-zealous’ in issuing fines every time cyclists were spotted riding on the pavement. All Robert Goodwill has done is to reiterate the guidance issued by Labour Home Office minister Paul Boateng in 1999 when pavement cycling was made a fixed penalty offence after concerns were expressed that the police were turning a blind eye to those cycling on the footpath - prosecutions in the ten years 1984 to 1994 had declined significantly. “The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required.” At least Robert Goodwill acknowledges that pavement cycling is illegal. That is a great leap forward from 2009 when the DfT’s top civil servant Robert Devereux told the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee during a hearing on ‘Improving road safety for pedestrians and cyclists in Great Britain’ that he thought pavement cycling was legal - until he checked with his support staff sitting next to him and had to admit he was wrong! See http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmpubacc/665/9061004.htm Q42 - Q47 49th Report 2008–09.FOR THE FULL TEXT OF PAUL BOATENG’S 1999 GUIDANCE SEE: PAVEMENTS ARE FOR PEDESTRIANS - 6
Tony Purton ● 4396d3 Comments