Stop riding bikes on pavement says Cheltenham pensioner
That's the view of pensioner Marina Coles who says she's been nearly mown down twice by inconsiderate bikers on the footpath.
The 74-year-old is so fed up she is writing to Gloucestershire's police chief Dr Tim Brain to ask his force to do more.
Mrs Coles, of Devon Avenue, said: "Twice recently I've nearly been knocked over by people riding on the pavement outside my house. I have a dog and sometimes his lead stretches across the path, and if a cyclist comes along they say 'get that dog out of the way'.
"I see police cars driving past people riding on the pavement all the time and they don't do anything about it at all.
"I'm going to write to Dr Brain and ask him to make sure more is done about it, because it's not allowed and it's dangerous."
Cycling on the pavement is an offence under Section 72 of the Highways Act and could result in a £30 fixed penalty notice from police.
In extreme cases cyclists can be charged with dangerous and careless driving. The maximum fines are £2,500 for dangerous cycling and £1,000 for careless cycling.
In November 2007 a man was killed in Cornwall when a cyclist struck him at 25mph. Culprit Peter Messen was given 300 hours' community service and a 12-month suspended sentence.
Inspector Jon Roberts from the Cheltenham Town Centre Safer Community Team said, "The designated no-cycling zones in the town are there for a very good reason, and we would urge cyclists to adhere to them.
"While we have had no reports of incidents of people injured by cyclists in the area so far this year, incidents do happen and can have very serious consequences.
"Our PCSOs on patrol ask those seen cycling through these zones to get off their bikes."
John Mallows from Cycle Cheltenham, which campaigns on behalf of bike riders, said: "Cyclists shouldn't ride on the pavement. We have always advocated making the roads better for cyclists so they feel confident riding on the road.
"We would say if there is going to be a crackdown on people riding on the pavements, it should be widened to include the bad driving, such as passing too close, parking in cycle lanes and driving into stop lane boxes at lights, which encourages cyclists on to the pav- ements."
Opinion, p8
Comment on this story