| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Putney & Wimbledon Conservators | |
| Posted by: | Jonathan Callaway | |
| Date/Time: | 25/09/10 11:06:00 |
| Well I am going to have to disagree with you here! Cycling is a great way to keep fit and I thoroughly enjoy the cycle trips I make to Richmond Park, Wimbledon Common et al. And as a recent acquirer of the Freedom Pass I doubt I would fall into the "lycra lout" category! Through the Putney Society's Transport Panel I have done what I can to promote cycling, improve secure parking for cyclists near destinations such as the High Street and the stations (cycle threat is a major problem in Putney), and continuing the Society's campaign for 20 mph speed limits on our residential streets. I do of course recognise the problem of anti-social and aggressive cyclists - as a pedestrian I too have been abused by cyclists who deem me to have got in their way, on the towpath for example. Again, the Society has done its bit here by encouraging the police to crack down on pavement cyclists, jumpers of red lights etc, and as a result we have seen more patrols along URR as cyclists seek to ignore the one way restrictions by using the pavements. We met the police recently and they told us they have stopped over 200 such cyclists and fined a couple of dozen of them (and at the same time managed to pick off a few motorists on the same road driving while using their mobiles). The antisocial cyclists annoy me for a number of reasons, not the least of it being the damage they do to the cause of improving conditions for cyclists generally, and getting people out their cars and on to non-polluting forms of transport. I know the London Cycling Campaign is very concerned too - if the Putney Society mailbag is anything to go by, the antipathy you show towards cyclists is spreading despite the fact it is only a small number of miscreants which is spoiling it for the rest of us - and how often do we say that about any number of society's problems? |