PAVEMENT CYCLISTS in the Crystal Palace Triangle area face £50 fines.
Metropolitan Police notices have been put up around the area warning that cycling on the pavement is an offence under section 72 of the 1835 Highways act – as amended by section 85 (1) of the 1888 Local Government act.”Do not cycle on the pavement. “You ride the risk of a fixed penalty notice and £50 fine”
The leaflet then warns of further offences which also carry a fine including:
contravening traffic signals
failing to stop for a PC
Using a pedestrian cycle without lights being fitted
At least, some positive news on this front. But, an insufficient deterrent in view of the time they save getting to work by using the pavement as a rat-run to avoid lights and queues on the road.
Petition: http://tinyurl.com/ratrunners
Cycling on the pavement doesn’t save you any time. You have to give way at every side road and driveway, and of course stop for pedestrians. It’s perfectly possible to pass most queues on the road safely without going on the pavement. The reasons people cycle on the pavement are 1) to avoid the one-way system, 2) for casual shopping (going back and forth between shops on the one-way), and most of all 3) because they’re scared of the roads. You almost never see “lycra roadie” fast cyclists on the pavement, it’s mostly youngsters (who probably haven’t learned to drive yet), women and older people.