I WAS intrigued to read your recent article regarding motorcycles being ridden on the towpaths, writes John Howard.
For as long as I can remember no motor vehicles are allowed on the canal towpath, which after all was only there for the horse, the boating fraternity and of course the occasional dog etc.
Such a state of neglect
These days unfortunately so many towpaths are in such a state of neglect, I’d defy anyone with a horse to navigate many of the towpaths without ending up in the cut! In fact we have come across a few places, usually more than a few hundred yards from the general populace, where a machete would be recommended as a weapon of choice to clear the way ahead.
So, to hear a continuous cruiser seemingly naively suggesting that their proof of boat ownership should be a passport to ignoring the law and risking the safety of anyone else who might be making legitimate use of the same towpath.
I’m a disabled boater, who carries a DVLA approved mobility scooter on the bow of my boat. Even with an electric winch on the roof to heave the beast aboard I admit it’s not a task to be taken lightly (no pun intended). However my electric scooter is limited to approx 4mph for pavement use and max 8mph when on the public highway. Yes, it is legally taxed by the DVLA.
Seriously precarious journey
Despite being legally the owner of a vehicle legally allowed to use the towpath, I find that even at speeds of 4mph, it’s a seriously precarious journey along anything other than those stretches of towpath benefitting from a layer of tarmac. Even these can lull you into a false sense of security when nearby tree roots start to create ridges in what was originally a nice smooth surface.
So the thought of meeting any motorcycle head-on along these generally three feet, non maintained towpath routes would certainly frighten me to death. I would also suspect there may well be some sort of exclusion clause in most motorcyclists’ insurance policies with regard to ‘off road’ use.
Seriously speedy e-scooters
So for my part when travelling, I do my utmost to moor where I can travel along as short a distance of towpath as possible, before reaching pedestrian footpaths or public roads, as the possibility of meeting a large group of ‘Lycra Louts’ or, God forbid, one of those seriously speedy e-scooters scares me rigid. So I take up my stick and one of my dogs and walk. It’s often safer.