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Lambeth Council to remove "No cycling" signs on South BankSouth Bank No Cycling sign.jpeg

Lambeth Council to remove "No cycling" signs on South Bank

Authority says it has responded to feedback
by Mark Appleton
Thu, Feb 03, 2011 12:42
8

Following our and other media coverage of a story about a disabled cyclist who was ordered off her tricycle by a PCSO on London’s South Bank, Lambeth Council is to remove “No Cycling” signs.

The council had been criticised for creating confusion by fixing the signs along the Thames riverside path that has been used by cyclists for many years, in response to a recent issue with a minority of people riding irresponsibly.

The matter came to a head after a Police Community Support Officer stopped a disabled cyclist, Anne Wright, and told her to dismount from her three-wheeled machine and walk. She attempted to prove her disability by showing the officer the elbow crutch she uses, but to little effect.

Now a Lambeth Council spokesman has told road.cc:

“We’ve been looking at the issue of cycling on the Southbank for some time and ideally we want to come up with a solution that allows cyclists and pedestrians to share the space together.

“The “No Cycling” signs were put up as a trial because of complaints about a small number of aggressive cyclists who were spoiling it for the majority of other cyclists and pedestrians. The signs were designed to allow the PCSOs that patrol the Southbank to ask cyclists to dismount so they could talk to them about considerate cycling.

“However, we’ve listened to feedback and decided that a better approach is to place signs that say ‘Pedestrian priority – considerate cycling welcomed’ or words to that effect, while at the same time running an awareness campaign to promote considerate cycling, similar to the very successful initiative we recently ran on Clapham Common. We hope to put up the new signs soon.”

Road.cc also made repeated attempts to contact MP for Vauxhall, Kate Hoey, who  supported the ban on cycling, but our calls were not returned.
 

South Bank
London Borough of Lambeth
Lambeth Cyclists
London

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8 comments

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Recumbenteer | 13 years ago
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If nuisance cycling could result in cycling being banned, and it might have done.

Why doesn't bad driving result in driving being banned. After all, being killed is rather more annoying than being irritated or frightened.

Between 1998-2008 motorists only killed 820 pedestrians on the pavement., whereas cyclists in the UK killed 3 pedestrians on the pavement
That's a ratio of 273:1.
Assumes 10% of pedestrian casualties occurred on the pavement or verge, as happened 2007-2008.

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Simon_MacMichael | 13 years ago
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One term, when my grant cheque was two months late, I managed to get hold of someone at Lambeth Council who cheerfully explained that they'd sent it to Aberystwyth.

"But I'm in Cardiff," I said.

"Yes. Isn't Cardiff in Aberystwyth?" 29

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bikeandy61 | 13 years ago
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So in a time of national cut backs/savings a council can spend council tax money on a trial and test signage. They wonder why they get a load of stick from the public? Their confusion just high lights how poor this council must be.

Thank the powers that be that this lady had the gumption to stick this case out.

Avatar
jova54 | 13 years ago
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Quote:

“However, we’ve listened to feedback and decided that a better approach is to place signs that say ‘Pedestrian priority – considerate cycling welcomed’ or words to that effect,...

What they really mean is that they realised the lady with the tricycle could have sued the council and so they backtracked and made themselves look even bigger idiots.

Quote:

A rare outbreak of sanity! They should be praised though - well-done Lambeth.

No Mike, don't agree. They rightly deserve all the approbation they get and should get no credit or praise for removing illegal signs and wasting public money on a pointless exercise. By extension of their policy of the few spoiling it for the many; all drivers should be banned from using the roads because of a few kn*bs who drive inconsiderately. A nice idea but would you want to be the politician or copper who suggests it?

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OldRidgeback | 13 years ago
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The 'safety' move by Lambeth Council of stopping funding for 'lollipop' ladies/men around schools of course remains. It is somewhat ironic that there are calls for increased levels of cycling/walking to school across the UK when lambeth Council is making those options more dangerous.

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Mike McBeth | 13 years ago
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A rare outbreak of sanity! They should be praised though - well-done Lambeth.

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BigDummy | 13 years ago
0 likes

I now understand why Lambeth Council called me yesterday about £1.68 of council tax arrears from 6 months ago. I am pleased, in a small way, to have contributed to the replacement of stupid and illegal signs with merely pointless ones.

16

Avatar
thereverent | 13 years ago
0 likes

"The “No Cycling” signs were put up as a trial"

They didn't sound like much of a trial to me.
As a former Lambeth resident, this sounds like many things the council do with out thinking through properly.

"The signs were designed to allow the PCSOs that patrol the Southbank to ask cyclists to dismount so they could talk to them about considerate cycling"

So the plan was even if you were cycling in a considerate manner you would still be ordered off your bike to discuss considerate cycling by an PCSO with very little training. Great!

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