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Cyclist fines down in Manchester - but campaigners say poor infrastructure gives no choice but to flout rules

Cyclists are complaining of 'being picked on and singled out' admit police...

Police in Greater Manchester say that fixed penalties for cyclists flouting road laws have dropped by 18%, with 90% of those issued at the time of a major operation to encourage consideration on the roads.

Figures obtained by Mancunian Matters through an FOI request to Greater Manchester Police show 121 fines were issued from June-December 2014 compared to 147 the previous six months.

The top two penalties were for ‘cycling on the pavement’ and ‘contravening traffic sign/road sign markings’.

In October last year we reported how GMP had launched Operation Considerate, beginning with two events geared towards raising awareness of the rules around advanced stop lines (ASLs) at traffic lights.

ASLs provide an area for cyclists to wait in front of traffic when the lights are red, ensuring they are more easily visible to motorists and have space to move off when the lights turn green. Drivers shouldn’t enter ASL boxes when the lights are on red – although if the traffic light changes from green to amber and they cannot safely stop before the first line, they may cross it, but must then stop before the second line.

Explaining the philosophy behind Operation Considerate, Greater Manchester’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Jim Battle said:

“Everyone has a right to feel safe on the road – pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. We all share the road and we all need to obey the rules that help us get safely from A to B.

“Advanced stop lines provide an area of high visibility for cyclists and visibility is critical to cycling safety. GMP will be urging motorists to obey the rules of ASLs and reminding cyclists to maximise their visibility using bike lights and bright clothing – especially now the nights are getting darker.”

Cyclists who were caught under Operation Considerate were given the option of attending a cycling safety course or paying a £50 fine.

Inspector Paul Rowe of the GMP said: “It is fair to say that various groups from the cycling community contacted the Police Senior Leaders Team feeling that they were being picked on and singled out, even though motorists were prosecuted for offences.

“Those involving cyclists were able to attend an ‘Operation Considerate’ training session, where the aim would be to educate all road users to be considerate to each other.

“The operation commenced with two weeks of engagement and education with all road users and then two weeks of enforcement.”

He added: “We, and a number of other forces, are looking to a national online course for cycling offenders but unfortunately this will not be free."

Operation Considerate overtook the unpopular Operation Grimaldi in Manchester, in which hundreds of cyclists in Manchester were issued £80 fines for “dangerous and irresponsible” cycling on the city’s Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road.

In just ten days of activity in 2013 officers issued 415 fixed penalty notices for a range of offences including riding through red traffic lights or on the pavement, using a mobile phone while riding, and riding without lights.

Cyclists issued with the fixed penalty notices were also then given the opportunity to avoid paying fines by attending cycling awareness courses.


Traffic PCSO Gareth Walker commented: “The aim of the operation was not to fine all offenders but to educate them, offer training and promote road safety.

“Many of the cyclists we spoke to were not aware of the danger they put themselves and others in by the actions they were taking while failing to stop or being distracted on their phones.

“The number of killed or seriously injured on the roads has fallen over the last two years but we need to continue to educate road users of how to share the roads safely in order to ensure these numbers continue to fall.”

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9 comments

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Stumps | 9 years ago
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It averages 1 ticket per day, hardly something to write home about is it ?

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cunningstunt | 9 years ago
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According to Norfolk police cyclists have no right of way on a public road! This was after a car drove head on at me as it was overtaking parked cars. I have it all on video but the wise police man said video evidence isn't any good as it's not calibrated to police standards so it's of no use to them.  24

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anarchy | 9 years ago
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Oink oink

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crazy-legs | 9 years ago
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I've seen the police on Deansgate and Oxford Road. I can kind of see what they are trying to achieve but saturating one or two junctions doesn't actually achieve it.

Motorists put down their phones, drive nice and carefully, then as soon as they're out of sight, it's a free for all again. There's the other factor that it's very easy to pull over a cyclist. Step into the road, get them to stop, take them to one side. Whereas with a car, it's much more difficult, they take up far more space so pulling one over means instant traffic jam so they're less likely to be pulled over.

Busy junctions like that, you've got pedestrians walking across no matter what the lights are doing, cars stuck in the yellow box/ASL/middle of the junction, bikes trying to weave through, buses turning and it's a crap road surface, potholes everywhere. The traffic lights are largely a guidance!

You do what you can to stay safe which sometimes means RLJing or riding in the middle of the lane to avoid the craters. And then you get ticketed for it, hence the feeling that cyclists are being victimised.

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Peowpeowpeowlasers | 9 years ago
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Put plain-clothed officers on bikes. I guarantee that the number of mobile phone while driving offences will skyrocket.

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atgni | 9 years ago
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According to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, amended 2003, it is only illegal to drive a motor vehicle while using a mobile phone. Cycles aren't motor vehicles and there is nothing about cycles in the phrasing, so cyclists are exempt from this particular law.

'In just ten days of activity in 2013 officers issued 415 fixed penalty notices for a range of offences including ..... using a mobile phone while riding....'

I'm not saying cycling whilst using a mobile is safe, but am I missing something?

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GREGJONES | 9 years ago
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I've lost count of the number of police cars I've seen in the green box.

Not to mention the motorists on their phones, I counted ten on deansgate alone last night.

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andyp replied to GREGJONES | 9 years ago
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GREGJONES wrote:

I've lost count of the number of police cars I've seen in the green box.

Not to mention the motorists on their phones, I counted ten on deansgate alone last night.

This seems to be largely irrelevant to the article, but well done.

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Stumps replied to GREGJONES | 9 years ago
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GREGJONES wrote:

Not to mention the motorists on their phones, I counted ten on deansgate alone last night.

Greg, i've just done a quick search and i've found this bit of info, no doubt a more indepth search will produce later results. Hope it helps  1

The number of motorist given a ticket in GMP area for driving while using a mobile phone for the years:
During 2004 – 6694
During 2005 - 11800
During 2006 - 16702

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