Apparently it's ok to park in a cycle lane.

[Cyclopathic]

I asked on of our local traffic wardens in Leicester if there was anything they can to people who park in cycle lanes. His answer was that unless there are yellow lines or other parking restrictions they have no provision for ticketing people parked in cycle lanes.

He did say that in other authorities the rules may be different and some parts of the country will give tickets for parking in a cycle lane but that in Leicester they did not so much as have the paperwork to even begin to tackle this sort of thing. I was truely agog. Cycle lanes are getting a bit better in some places so when one does eventually get on a fairly usable stretch of lane it is bloody anoying to then find some git parked right in the way and invariably on the wrong side of the road (I have not asked if they have provision for ticketing people who park on the wrong side of the road. Not the most serious offence by any means but I wonder if it could be used) I'd go as far as to say it could be dangerous for inexperienced riders.

Leicester has boasted about being an environmentaly progressive city and our shamelesly self publicising and power hungry Mayor Peter Saulsby forever bangs on about how cycle friendly the city is. All just lies and propaganda.

Really how can it be ok to park in a cycle lane. Tossers.

 

[Chris-H]

Could'nt agreee more mate.Although it is'nt a cycle lane we live in a village and the post office and shop is a mile away and means walking along a footpath on a busy road,the amount of cars who feel it justified to park on the path because they live there is unbelievable,it forces everyone who uses the path to walk on the main road to get round the cars,including my little lad who's 3 when we go to the shop and pensioners with their trolles,the unbelievable part is theres no parking restrictions on the road !!

 

[Banjo]

What I think is even worse is where they paint a cycle lane outside where the cars park .This funnels cyclists nicely into the car door zone not to mention idiot pedestrians who suddenly pop out in front of you from behind vehicles.

Personally I think we are better off without any painted cycle lanes, just use the road safely and considerately then they arent needed.

 

[Hacienda71]

I know it has been posted before but it made me think of this video

 

[Cyclopathic]

Thanks H'71. I often think of this footage in conection with this issue..

 

[snorri]

Leicester has boasted about being an environmentaly progressive city and our shamelesly self publicising and power hungry Mayor Peter Saulsby forever bangs on about how cycle friendly the city is.

Have you told about this problem?
Write to him, it will take little more effort that that required to post on here. Post his reply for us all to see.

 

[Amanda P]

Yep, it'sfine. Even if there's a double yellow line too. In fact, it's taught by driving instructors in York:

 

[guitarpete247]

240

You MUST NOT stop or park on:

• the carriageway or the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency (see Rule 270)
• a pedestrian crossing, including the area marked by the zig-zag lines (see Rule 191)
• a clearway (see 'Traffic signs')
• taxi bays as indicated by upright signs and markings
• an urban clearway within its hours of operation, even when a broken white line is on your side of the road, except to pick up or set down passengers (see 'Traffic signs')
• a road marked with double white lines, except to pick up or set down passengers
• a tram or cycle lane during its period of operation
• a cycle track
• red lines, in the case of specially designated ‘red routes’, unless otherwise indicated by signs

Copied from the Highway Code Direct gov website.

 

[guitarpete247]

Yep, it'sfine. Even if there's a double yellow line too. In fact, it's taught by driving instructors in York:

I thought the rule was if it has a broken white line you can pull into it but if it has a solid white line then the is to be treated as the edge of the road.
Cycle lanes may be:

1. mandatory, (marked with solid white lines) where other vehicles are excluded for at least part of the day, or
2. advisory (marked with broken white lines) where other road users can use them if necessary and may be allowed to park in them at certain times. The Highway code recommends that cyclists "keep within the lane wherever possible"

 

[ufkacbln]

This was a Portsmouth classic!

Fairly obvious that the vehicle is committing several offences by being on the pavement, on double yellow lines, within the zigzag lines of a pedestrian crossing and in a cycle lane

Police can't tackle as it is a parking offence and that is Portsmouth City Council's responsibility who can't deal with it because it is an obstruction so it is the Police who can't deal with it because it is double yellow lines which is Portsmouth City Council who can't deal with it because it is within the pedestrian crossing which is the Police who can't deal with it because the pavement parking and yellow lines take precedence over the crossing so it is Portsmouth City Council who can't deal with it because although it is on the pavement and yellow lines the obstruction takes priority so it needs to be dealt with by the Police

.. and the licensing office can't deal with it under the licensing points as it is a parking offence and the responsiility of the POlice!



Eventually took 6 months and a formal complaint to both Police and Council before anyone would actually do anything!

 

[waggoner]

We got a cycle lane here that runs down a main road,,but its a total wastse of time as there are cars always parked in it,,so you got to ride out futher into the road, which then holds the traffic up. Would have been a good ideal if it had worked,,but at the moment its been a wastse of time and money putting it in.

 

[snailracer]

There is one particular road on my commute where parked cars often block the bike lane. I actually take great delight riding as far out as I need to, ostentatiously pointing out the obstructions to the cars impatiently queued up behind me.

 

[CamPhil]

This was a Portsmouth classic!

Fairly obvious that the vehicle is committing several offences by being on the pavement, on double yellow lines, within the zigzag lines of a pedestrian crossing and in a cycle lane

Police can't tackle as it is a parking offence and that is Portsmouth City Council's responsibility who can't deal with it because it is an obstruction so it is the Police who can't deal with it because it is double yellow lines which is Portsmouth City Council who can't deal with it because it is within the pedestrian crossing which is the Police who can't deal with it because the pavement parking and yellow lines take precedence over the crossing so it is Portsmouth City Council who can't deal with it because although it is on the pavement and yellow lines the obstruction takes priority so it needs to be dealt with by the Police

.. and the licensing office can't deal with it under the licensing points as it is a parking offence and the responsiility of the POlice!



Eventually took 6 months and a formal complaint to both Police and Council before anyone would actually do anything!

The way to deal with that would be to slice the vehicle lengthways into slices corresponding to each authorities field of responsibility, and then have each of them deal with the relevant offence

Of course, that may bring further arguments, as there would be additional authorities involved in the littering and environmental protection infractions.

 

[MissTillyFlop]

Ah, the clever London councils have thoughts of a way around this - painting parking bays IN the cycle lane. Genius.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Let's be objective about this. Where on earth are the parking ticket people supposed to park? If they couldn't get to work because of cyclists complaining about drivers commandeering the precious resources allocated to cyclists then the whole world would fall apart.

And some of us may have noticed that it's all falling apart anyway. This is proof of the evilness of cyclists.

I claim my £5 for pre-empting the Daily Fail.