“Cyclists are entitled to use the road as much as anyone else”: Councillors and locals blast “discriminatory” ‘Cyclists Dismount and Proceed with Caution’ signs at temporary traffic lights

Signs advising cyclists to “dismount and proceed with caution” at a set of temporary traffic lights in Worcester have been removed, after councillors and local cyclists complained that the signs were “discriminatory” towards people on bikes.

The temporary lights were installed at the end of July as part of work carried out by Cadent Gas on Worcester’s Malvern Road. They are expected to remain in place until the middle of November, the Worcester News reports.

The ongoing road works and, in particular, a ‘Cyclists Dismount and Proceed with Caution’ sign located at the lights, have attracted the ire of residents and politicians in the West Midlands city, with one councillor urging the local authority to intervene due to the disruption caused to locals.

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Worcester City councillor Sue Smith has also called for the ‘Cyclists Dismount’ sign to be replaced by one informing motorists to turn off their engines while waiting at the lights.

“Cars have been displaced, pollution has increased, and they are asking cyclists to dismount which I believe is not a legal request,” she said.

“Cyclists are entitled to use the road as much as anyone else. If anything, car drivers should be encouraged to turn off their engines when queuing, which would reduce the impact on residents living on Malvern Road who are breathing in increased levels of car fumes from idling cars.

“I would like to see the signage change and the cyclists dismount sign needs to be removed. A turn-off engine sign when waiting at traffic lights also needs to be installed and we need more information and confirmation about a completion date.”

The signage has also been criticised by her fellow Labour councillor Richard Udall, who questioned whether the requirement to dismount was “necessary” or even legal.

Not sure why this sign is necessary. Gas works on Malvern Road. No idea why cyclists need to dismount, not even sure if it’s legally enforceable. Cyclists are legitimate road users, maybe all road users should proceed with caution. pic.twitter.com/QNGfiQdrA9

— Richard Udall - The Voice of St John's (@RealUdallVoice) August 29, 2023

“No idea why cyclists need to dismount, not even sure if it’s legally enforceable,” Udall wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

“Cyclists are legitimate road users, maybe all road users should proceed with caution.”

Udall and Smith’s belief that the signage is not legally enforceable is supported by the Department for Transport’s Safety at Street Works and Road Words code of practice, which informs planners that “where access is permitted for motor vehicles, ‘Cyclists Dismount’ signs should not be used”.

“The hazards to cyclists at roadworks are rarely great enough to justify this measure,” the code of practice states. “In any case, cyclists are likely to ignore such instructions. The only situation where cyclists should be advised to dismount is where the carriageway is closed but the footway remains open. A ‘Cyclists dismount and use footway’ white-on-red temporary sign may be used in such cases.”

As we noted in our recent feature on signs for cyclists, most ‘Cyclists Dismount’ signs are blue with white lettering. Unlike the red and white ‘no cycling’ signs, these smaller signs are advisory, allowing cyclists by the letter of the law to continue riding, albeit with due consideration for others in the area such as pedestrians.

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Meanwhile, Dan Brothwell, the chair of Bike Worcester, added on social media that, by appearing to require cyclists to get off their bikes and walk along the pavement, Worcester County Council were only making things even “more difficult for pedestrians”.

“I’m taking it that the ‘Proceed with Caution’ is aimed at me, but not vehicles with motors, that weigh 20 times my weight, and kill and injure thousands each year?” he asked.

Smith also claimed that the controversy over the signage proves that “we need much better communication with residents and their representatives”.

She continued: “Public utilities have a legal right to dig up the road, but their rights come with responsibilities.

“We need to ensure their work does not needlessly disrupt residents and does not discriminate against cyclists.”

Councillor Smith stands beside the controversial sign (credit: Richard Udall)

However, Allan Griffiths, head of customer operations for Cadent in the West Midlands, said the signs were installed to ensure the “safety of cyclists”.

“The works taking place on Malvern Road, Worcester, are part of the long-term programme to replace ageing metallic gas mains with new, durable plastic pipes,” he said.

“This project will be ongoing until November and once these works are completed, it will mean that we will not need to carry out repair work in the future, reducing our visits to the area.

“The cyclist dismount sign is there for the safety of cyclists and is used to indicate an area where it may be safer to dismount and to push your bicycle. Regarding the turn-off engine signs, we will look into this in conjunction with National Highways.”

Despite Griffiths’ safety claims, councillor Udall confirmed this morning that the ‘Cyclists Dismount’ sign had already been removed.

“I really appreciate yours and Sue’s efforts on this, thank you,” active travel campaigner Brothwell wrote on social media. “It was a zero-cost easy win that removes a barrier to active travel, and enables and encourages more people to travel by bike.”

> Newly installed 'no cycling' signs on popular route "send out the wrong message"

The signage debacle in Worcester comes just days after cyclists in Wootton Bassett expressed their disappointment at the council’s decision to put up ‘no cycling’ signs on a popular route many believed was an approved cycle path.

The signs appeared last week, with one resident saying the route in the Wiltshire town had been a cycle path “for as long as I’ve known” and that nobody from the council had made them aware that it was not allowed.

However, signage has now been installed, with Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council claiming that the path was never an approved cycling route and that a complaint from a resident has prompted them to update the signs in the area.

“An old no cycling sign has simply been replaced with a new no cycling sign, following a complaint from a resident that the sign was not clear,” the council said.

Criticising the decision, one local cyclist wrote on Facebook: “There are hardly any cycle route signs in the town and this one is a posh town council sign, not a bog-standard Wiltshire Council sign. Sends out wrong message and shows that priority is to prevent cycling in the town rather than support it.”