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Cycling popularity has increased in Peterborough and across the country during the lockdown, and this week Mayor of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire James Palmer revealed he wanted to receive ideas for pop-up cycle lanes.

The idea was welcomed by Peterborough City Council leader Cllr John Holdich, who said the scheme was already being worked on by officers. However, he ruled out any lifting of the ban which sees cycling on Bridge Street not permitted between the hours of 9am and 6pm each day.

A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for the city centre is now being extended which allows authorised enforcement officers to fine people £80 for breaking the ban.

Cycling on Bridge Street between 9am and 6pm is banned

However, the cycle forum believes the expected easing of social distancing rules in the coming weeks is the perfect time to trial removing the ban, with monitoring of how it goes and ‘wardens’ on hand to ensure cyclists are riding safely.

Spokesperson for the Peterborough Cycle Forum Chris Cooper said: “Many more people are now cycling as part of daily exercise, or to access their place or work, or local shops.

“As the lockdown is eased there needs to be a safe and convenient route through the city centre; the alternatives of cycling via Bourges Boulevard or Bishop’s Road present significant dangers, especially for the less experienced.

“Traffic free streets across the country are safely shared by pedestrians and cyclists. We are surely no different to people in Luton or Leicester who successfully share city centre space where pedestrians have priority and considerate cycling is welcomed.

“We want to help the city council to use these unprecedented times to enable residents to cycle safely through the city centre, improving their physical and mental health, and tackling the climate emergency. We propose an experimental lifting of the ban, during which volunteer ‘cycle wardens’ will work alongside council staff to engage with cyclists as they enter Bridge Street to ensure safe and responsible cycling.

“We also propose independent monitoring during the lifting of the cycle ban to provide evidence of the extent to which pedestrians and cyclists can happily coexist on Bridge Street.”

The consultation into the extension of the PSPO revealed a split into whether residents want to see people fined for breaking the Bridge Street ban.

However, speaking about the pop-up cycle lanes this week, Cllr Holdich said Bridge Street was not an option. He told the Peterborough Telegraph: “There’s no reason for anyone to cycle through Bridge Street as you can go round and it’s only an extra 50 yards.”

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