London parks cycle monitoring?

Rendel Harris · 2024-05-21T07:36:35+01:00

This morning in Battersea Park there was a group of police officers from Wandsworth Parks Police hanging around with a group of council officers: they weren't doing much but as far as I could see they seemed to be observing cyclists as they went past on Carriage Drive North between Chelsea Bridge and the zoo. The council operatives seemed to be taking occasional notes; along with this a new sign has appeared on that stretch of road saying "cyclists reduce your speed". Last week I saw a similar group of observers with some Royal Parks police in Brompton Cemetery (which is run by Royal Parks). I was wondering if this apparent observation of cyclists presages some sort of clampdown following on from the media brouhaha related to the Regent's Park incident? Have any other London cyclists noticed observers recently? Perhaps any London-based road.cc staff with contacts (Simon?) might be able to find out if this is just a coincidence or whether concerted action is being planned.

This topic has 8 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 2 years ago by OldRidgeback.

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May 21, 2024 at 7:36 am #32873

Rendel Harris

This morning in Battersea Park there was a group of police officers from Wandsworth Parks Police hanging around with a group of council officers: they weren’t doing much but as far as I could see they seemed to be observing cyclists as they went past on Carriage Drive North between Chelsea Bridge and the zoo. The council operatives seemed to be taking occasional notes; along with this a new sign has appeared on that stretch of road saying “cyclists reduce your speed”. Last week I saw a similar group of observers with some Royal Parks police in Brompton Cemetery (which is run by Royal Parks). I was wondering if this apparent observation of cyclists presages some sort of clampdown following on from the media brouhaha related to the Regent’s Park incident? Have any other London cyclists noticed observers recently? Perhaps any London-based road.cc staff with contacts (Simon?) might be able to find out if this is just a coincidence or whether concerted action is being planned.
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May 23, 2024 at 12:22 pm #1021823
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OldRidgeback

He looks a bit like Paul

He looks a bit like Paul Wicker the tall vicar from Viz. He’s about as credible too.

May 23, 2024 at 8:17 am #1021821
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Rendel Harris

May have been overly paranoid

May have been overly paranoid about Battersea Park, the same crew were there this morning but they were setting up a shuttle bus collection point for the Chelsea Flower Show, so maybe before they were just surveying the area. Doesn’t explain the Brompton Cemetery crew though; being Royal Parks controlled, with that organisation’s attitude to cyclists, wouldn’t be surprised if they were looking for ammunition to apply restrictions.

May 21, 2024 at 8:21 pm #1021819
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ktache

Yes, but is it an established

Yes, but is it an established red?…

May 21, 2024 at 8:11 pm #1021817
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momove

That’s part of my commute too
That’s part of my commute too and I’ve never seen officers from any organisation, just the regular faces maintaining the park and keeping it nice.

I got the tube this morning as I had something else on, but will look to see if they’re there in the future.

Never seen anything like that there or in any other park, in particular Hyde Park which is the other one I run/ride through.

May 21, 2024 at 2:43 pm #1021815
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mattw

Lucas is the Lib Dem

Lucas is the Lib Dem candidate for Cities of London and Westminster, so he’s doing local populism. Labour are predicted to win, so he’s trying to squeeze the Tory vote.

There’s plenty in there that is deliberately (I’ll assume he is a thoughtful man) misleading or fuzzy – such as on the Regents Park accident:

This road has a 20mph limit for cars, which, supposedly, does not apply to cyclists. So, riding at walking speed on a deserted pavement is an offence, but knocking over an old lady trying to cross the road is not?

Supposedly? !!!

He has not engaged with the reality of the incident as an accident.

Nor is he aware that in law speeding alone cannot constitute dangerous driving.

Nor does he seem to be aware that City of London police have already been innovative in enforcing law on cyclists.

May 21, 2024 at 9:40 am #1021813
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Rendel Harris

“At my instigation” –

“At my instigation” – somebody has a rather high opinion of their own importance! It would be lovely if the Met would come and hand out tickets at the instigation of members of the public, I would get them down to one of my local pelican crossings outside East Dulwich station and have them ticket all the drivers who go through when the light is on red, I can guarantee they would catch at least 50 drivers an hour. Unfortunately they don’t tend to do that, even for people as gosh-almighty important as Times journalists.

May 21, 2024 at 9:03 am #1021811
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jaymack

I’m looking forward to
I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s edition – ‘it’s high time rogue motorists were humbled’. Sadly that’s a tomorrow never likely to come.

May 21, 2024 at 8:10 am #1021809
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HoarseMann

Spotted this in a news feed..

Spotted this in a news feed…
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