Call for more action to tackle cycling on Bridge Street in Peterborough - as less than one fine a day is given out
Cycling ban on city street is featured in new Monopoly set
There have been calls for the Bridge Street cycling ban to be looked at again – as The Peterborough Telegraph can reveal less than one cyclist is fined for breaching the rules a day.
The PSPO also includes other offences, including a ban on begging, spitting and littering.
If someone is caught breaching a PSPO, authorised council officers as well as Police Constables and Police Community Support Officers can enforce the order resulting in fines of up to £1,000 or Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN), with a bill of £100.
The cycling ban has become so notorious, it even features in the Chance cards on the new Peterborough Monopoly set – and when the Peterborough Telegraph asked readers about the issue on Facebook, dozens and dozens and dozens of people had their say.
However, despite the ban being so notorious, it is not being enforced, with many cyclists ignoring the ban.
Just 334 fines handed out in a year
Earlier this month, on a sunny Thursday afternoon at 5.30pm, a Peterborough Telegraph reporter counted seven cyclists breaching the order in the time it took to walk from one end of the street to the other.
But the statistics on how many fines have been handed out show a different picture – as between October 2023 and September 2024, there were just 334 FPNs issued for breaching cycling rules.
“Cycling along Bridge Street has long been a contentious issue and one which splits opinion"
The Peterborough Telegraph asked all party leaders on the city council what their views on the ban are – and if they would make any changes. Not all parties responded to the question.
Council leader – and leader of the Labour Party – cllr Dennis Jones said: “Cycling along Bridge Street has long been a contentious issue and one which splits opinion. For as many people who don't want it to be allowed, there are as many who do and feel that they are being penalised because of the anti-social behaviour of a few.
“As a new administration we have inherited many policies, practices and procedures, some of which may date back a good many years and will be reviewed over time. Those which are working for the greater good will remain. Those which do not, or no longer serve the purpose for which they were originally designated, will be examined with a view to changing or being scrapped.
“To this end, I will be consulting with officers tasked with enforcing FPNs for cycling along Bridge Street to take in their views.
“This administration simply cannot accept the status quo and we will take all views into consideration as part of the process.”
Conservative leader, cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, however, was more certain about the ban.
He said: “It is very simple - the administration should make sure that the no cycling policy is enforced and people are given FPN’s if they fail to adhere to it.
“It is very dangerous to cycle along that stretch of the pedestrianised area in the city centre as has been proven many times over.”
“It is possible for a responsible cyclist to ride their bike safely down Bridge Street"
Cllr Christian Hogg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, called for a new look at the ban – and whether it was still needed.
He said: “I think it would be appropriate to have another look at this.
“I think that it is possible for a responsible cyclist to ride their bike safely down Bridge Street, but the issue is not with them but the irresponsible cyclist.
"The question should therefore be is the ban effective in reducing the irresponsible cyclists or just the responsible ones. Does the ban for instance merely encourage irresponsible cyclists to ride faster in order to evade being stopped and fined?
“Now this ban has been in place for some time we need to look at whether it has achieved what it designed to do or if it is falling short, if so does it mean more enforcement capacity is needed or a removal of the ban altogether?”
“If you can't enforce it, then remove the signs !!”
On the Peterborough Telegraph Facebook page, readers had their say on the ban.
Mick Taylor said: “What we definitely don't need is a cycle lane down Bridge Street, it is one area that cyclists should be kept out of as the only pedestrian area in the city centre.”
Tom Shortland said: “If you can't enforce it, then remove the signs !!”
However, Cornelia Waymouth said a move should be made to make the city centre more cycle friendly. She said: “Considering it used to be a road, if there was a will there’d be a way of having a bike lane along it. That’s what it needs. So bikes have their place. Won’t stop pedestrians from ambling across with their noses in their phone of course.”
Alex Blower agreed, saying: “Bridge Street needs a cycle lane!!”
E-scooters and the ban
A number of readers also commented on the number of e-scooters being used on Bridge Street.
The PSPO ban on cycling on Bridge Street does not include a ban on e-scooters – it only includes bikes – as e-scooters are classed as a motorised vehicle.
Therefore, an e-scooter rider could not be fined under the city centre PSPO provisions.
It is illegal to use them on a public road without complying with a number of legal requirements including insurance; conformity with technical standards and standards of use; payment of vehicle tax, licensing, and registration; driver testing and licensing; and the use of relevant safety equipment.
Some of the same restrictions set out above apply to other spaces which are accessible to the public, such as car parks, public squares which are not restricted to pedestrian use, privately-owned roads, industrial estates, and university campuses
in spaces set aside for use by pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-riders; this includes on pavements, in cycle lanes and on bridleways or restricted byways. On a pavement, there are special legal exceptions for mobility scooters and wheelchairs.
The potential penalties depend on the nature and gravity of the offence, and sentences range from fines and penalty points, to disqualification from driving.