Thursday, August 6, 2009

Cyclists Second Class citizens in Lib Dem Cambridge

On numerous occassions when the City Council has run or sanctioned events on the main City Centre Greens and Commons, they have allowed paths forming key cycle routes to be blocked, and received complaints as a result. But in Lib Dem Cambridge, they just don't seem to be getting the message that these routes are a key part of the cycle network, and you can't just block them off without causing serious problems.

The latest example is just beyond belief. The comedy tent, organised by the City Council's Arts and Entertainments dept is back on Jesus Green. So far, so good, but they have managed to layout the site right across the path, with a food van fronting on to the path.

I received a complaint on Tuesday evening after there was a collision between a cyclist who couldn't avoid both an oncoming cyclist and a customer of the food van who just stepped backwards into the path without looking. Injuries were slight, but I can't understand how any practical consideration of Health and Safety as opposed to the all too common jobsworth variety wouldn't have ruled out what the Council has done here.

After I complained, the food van is being moved back from the path and some warning signs will be put up, but there will still be a hazard - it is ridiculous that the Council should be so oblivious to the importance of major cycle routes that they think it is acceptable to regularly block them without warning. They wouldn't set up a whelk stall in the outside lane of the A14 without warning and just expect cars to avoid the hazard. The Lib Dems in charge of Cambridge need to get a grip of this problem and stop it happening in future. On current form, I wouldn't leave them in charge of the whelk stall.

No comments: