Opinion: ‘Cycling - Are we going round in circles?’

Peterborough has a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards cycling and cyclists.

This love-hate relationship is somewhat confusing.

Does the city want to promote two-wheel transport or does it want the car to remain king?

On the one hand, the city has an enviable amount of cycle lanes, many of them through scenic routes.

On the other, cyclists are demonised in the city centre and targeted as cash cows with the council collecting thousands of pounds in fines from people riding a bike.

The multi-million poundGreen Wheel was launched several years back with much fanfare.

It remains a wonderful resource, but its upkeep has been neglected over the years by the city council.

I do a fair bit of cycling and it never fails to amaze me how I can ride to several destinations in the city without having to take my life in my hands while ‘sharing’ space with my motorised chums.

I’m delighted to see the city council plans to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds sprucing up the Green Wheel – although I’ll believe it when I see it.

That caution/cynicism has been underlined by the decision of Peterborough City Council to go back on plans to introduce cycle lanes on Cowgate and 
Broadway.

Peterborough Cycle Forum says it is: ‘beyond disappointed’ at the U-turn and I can’t say I blame them.

It wasn’t even as if it was going to cost the city council money as the funding was being provided by central government.

It had seemed that one of the good things to come out of this terrible pandemic was a sea change in attitudes towards cycling. Perhaps not.

The city council – which, let’s not forget, has long trumpeted its aspiration to be the nation’s Green Capital – seems yet to be convinced.

At least we got the pop-up lane on Crescent Bridge, which with its red and white barrier doesn’t look pretty but, trust me, for cyclists is a thing of rare beauty.

But attitudes do need to change. And that’s everybody.

There are three main groups that use our roads and paths – drivers, cyclists and pedestrians ( dog walkers are a sub-group, but don’t get me started on them!) and the problem, as always,is with the minority.

The nightmare onBridge Street (and it was a real problem) was not caused by cyclists – it was caused by irresponsible cyclists.

Many drivers behave impeccably towards cyclists, and a special thank you from me to Stagecoach bus drivers who, in my experience, are careful and courteous.

But, sadly, a minority of other drivers behave with a carelessness bordering on the criminal.

And on shared cycle/walking routes not only do cyclists need to improve their behaviour, pedestrians do too.

Bike riders use your bell, slow down (it’s not the Tour de France even if you’ve got all the lycra gear) and remember you don’t own the path.

Pedestrians, you don’t own it either, and texting as you walk is not a good idea.

On or off your bike, we all need to show a bit more consideration to each other.