Cyclists should give way

WHETHER on a public right of way or indeed a permissive right of way such as a canal towpath, cyclists are required to give way to pedestrians, writes Neil Quarmby.

If they do not, and sadly there are a small number who do ride recklessly on towpaths (not all in Lycra!), then in the event of a collision with a pedestrian they would be deemed responsible, and have to face the consequences of their actions.

Permit pointless

The towpath cycling permit was actually pointless because you didn't need to pay for it or go on to any form of register, you simply downloaded it from the British Waterways website. It would also be pointless specifying a sensible maximum speed on towpaths in the same way that there are no specified speed limits on either on road or shared use cycle paths.

There is a Department of Transport design speed of 12mph for all cycle paths and it may be that CaRT could be persuaded to install some speed reduction mechanisms in the areas where towpath speeding is a problem to ensure that it is difficult to maintain an average speed in excess of 12 mph. For those cyclists capable of exceeding that speed the towpath route would be less attractive.

Regulated

Finally cyclists and cycling organisations do not conduct racing or time trials on the towpath. Proper time trial events are regulated with each participant having insurance, are on road and have to have police notification in place many weeks before the event takes place. There may be some individual cyclists who use the Strava application to record a time over a section of road or path and compare their times with others but these are not sanctioned events in the way that Mick Fitzgibbons seems to suggest.

So there is little point in CaRT referencing any restriction on time trialling or racing in its Better Towpaths for Everyone because it doesn't happen in the sense that Mick Fitzgibbons seems to imply.

Understand frustration

I understand the frustration of towpath walkers, of which I am one, when passed closely at speed and without warning by a towpath cyclist. It's the same frustration I feel when passed too closely by a speeding motorist when I'm walking along a pavement or along a country road. Both are examples of a lack of respect and consideration towards a more vulnerable user. To change attitudes towards other users requires a change of thinking which is surely why CaRT are trying to educate towpath users.

[We would point out that there are 'some individual cyclists who use the Strava application to record a time over a section of road or path and compare their times', as clearly disclosed in Seven more towpath time trials.]