From The Times
A traffic-dodging dash the wrong way up a one-way street may be the tempting risk for many a frustrated cyclist. But it will no longer be against the law under an experiment designed to encourage more people to switch from four wheels to two.
The change – which will simply legitimise what many cyclists, including David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader, do already – will be welcomed by thousands of law-abiding riders who have to take long diversions around one-way systems.
Motorists, however, might be taken by surprise after failing to spot new signs at entry points and could find themselves being held liable for a collision with a bicycle.
The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Mr Cameron’s home authority, has decided to test two-way access for cyclists on six residential roads. If there is no significant increase in collisions, it will extend the policy to other streets. Many other councils are expected to copy the idea to capitalise on the recent surge in the popularity of cycling.
Some authorities have already created “cycle contraflows” but these are rare because of the expense of installing bollards, white lines and other infrastructure to segregate cyclists from vehicles travelling in the opposite direction.
Kensington & Chelsea intends to make the changes simply by putting up a few signs. It will replace no-entry signs with “no motor vehicles” signs, which show a silhouette of a car with a motorcyclist apparently jumping over it. Blue signs will also be put up indicating that bicycles are permitted to travel against the flow of motorised traffic.
There will be no dividing line between cyclists and motorists because the council believes that it will be safer to allow them to negotiate their own path past each other.
Daniel Moylan, deputy leader of the Conservative-controlled council, was persuaded of the need to make the change after noticing that hundreds of cyclists a day were ignoring no-entry signs on a street near his home.
He told The Times: “If this is what bicyclists want to do and they can do it safely, then we see it as our responsibility to adapt the legal position to allow them to do it legally.
“We are recognising the reality that cyclists prefer to take the shortest route through quieter streets. The alternative of having a policeman standing on the road to catch cyclists would be foolish and unworkable.”
Mr Moylan said he hoped that the changes would persuade more motorists of the benefits of cycling. “Bicyclists feel they are offered very little in terms of safety and convenience – I hope that our trial will encourage other boroughs and as a result bicyclists will be much freer to travel around.”
He is also lobbying the Department for Transport to alter its rules to allow no-entry signs to be adapted with the words “except cyclists”.
He said: “It is absurd that we are being forced to put up signs showing flying motorbikes which are much less well understood and may result in more drivers disobeying them.”
Roger Geffen, policy manager of the Cyclists’ Touring Club, welcomed the council’s position, saying that it was unfair to make cyclists comply with one-way systems that were imposed either to deter rat-running or enable faster journeys for motorised traffic. He said: “The alternative to cycling the wrong way down a one-way street is often to use a much less safe busy road.”
He added that the club would urge the courts to give the benefit of the doubt to cyclists in any collisions with motorists coming the other way on narrow streets.
In March Mr Cameron was caught on film cycling the wrong way down Dawson Place, a one-way street in Kensington & Chelsea. He said afterwards: “I know it is important to obey traffic laws – but I have obviously made mistakes on this occasion and I am sorry.”
Mr Moylan said that any comments offered by Mr Cameron, as a resident of the borough, would be welcome.
Facing up to reality or letting the lawbreakers win?
For: Jon Snow
The very essence of cycling is that it means taking the route that is the shortest distance between A and Z. The Dutch and Germans don’t make cyclists ride in great loops in their cities and nor should we.
If a camera followed me on my bike, it would be bound to find me breaking the law somewhere, including riding the wrong way down one-way streets. It’s the inescapable reality of riding a bicycle.
The traffic has been so dense near Holborn Tube station recently that you can’t even squeeze a bike between the lines of vehicles.
I have been going through a no-entry sign on a short one-way street. I’m also campaigning for two-way access on Gray’s Inn Road near King’s Cross, where I would have to make a four or five-minute diversion every morning if I were to comply with the one-way rules. I try to cycle for only 15 minutes at a time, as that is the limit within which Body Shop can restrain the stench.
My only concern about Kensington & Chelsea’s policy is that motorists and pedestrians could be caught unawares. They should paint some lines and white bicycle symbols in the road so people know to expect that a cyclist could be coming the other way, legally.
I can understand the need to keep costs to a minimum but a few tins of white paint would make the new rules much clearer to all.
Jon Snow is president of the Cyclists’ Touring Club
Against: Captain Gatso
The same rules should apply to every road user. You cannot make exceptions just because someone happens to be on a bicycle. Cyclists already get away with blue murder and it would be a mistake to give in to their law-breaking.
If they get their way on one-way streets they will then start demanding the right to intimidate pedestrians on pavements.
I would like to see cyclists pay a £10 registration fee to the DVLA and be forced to wear a bib bearing a unique number whenever they use the public highway. Then they could be caught on CCTV cameras, just as motorists are, when they ignore no-entry signs and jump red lights. If a police officer saw a cyclist without a bib, he could pull the cyclist over automatically as he would a car without number plates.
What makes drivers angry and frustrated with cyclists who ignore the Highway Code is that they know there is very little chance of them being stopped by police. Cyclists are already far too smug – and giving them special rights that are denied to motorists would only encourage them in their arrogance.
I can understand why some drivers may not feel inclined to give way to cyclists coming the wrong way down a one-way street. I shout at them when they ride past me but they either ignore me or come out with the old gag: “But I’m only going one way.”
Captain Gatso is an anti-speed camera activist
