Sustrans Cycle Leader advocates law breaking.

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Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
EDIT - I must make clear that this comment only refers to the ride led from Rhondda Heritage Park on a Sunday.
I came back from a group ride today organised by two people either employed by or at least paid by "Mentro Allan" (a subsiduary of Sustrans). Within a minute of the ride starting we exited the car park and made to join a B road. To my surprise we were told to ride on the pavement. I point blankly refused and pointed out to the 'Leader' that this was unlawful. He stated that I was talking Bollox as the legislation didn't take into account novice cyclists (and he had been doing it for 17 years and never got caught!!) He then went onto state that as "the law is corrupt then we need to be as well." I was ammazed and left the group to cycle in my own instead.

I have just looked up the relevent legislation (just to be sure). Please correct me if I am missing something here.

The primary legislation which makes cycling on a footway an offence is section 72 of the 1835 Highways Act, this provides that a person shall be guilty of an offence if he "shall wilfully ride upon any footpath or causeway by the side of any road made or set apart for the use or accommodation of foot-passengers or shall wilfully lead or drive any carriage of any description upon any such footpath or causeway."
Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1888 extended the definition of "carriage" to include "bicycles, tricycles, velocipedes and other similar machines."
The object of Section 72 Highways Act 1835 was intended not to protect all footpaths, but only footpaths or causeways by the side of a road, and that this is still the case has been ruled in the high court. The legislation makes no exceptions for small wheeled or children's cycles, so even a child riding on a footway is breaking the law. However, if they are under the age of criminal responsibility they cannot, of course, face prosecution.
[FONT=&quot]On [/FONT][FONT=&quot]1st August 1999[/FONT][FONT=&quot], new legislation came into force to allow a fixed penalty notice to be served on anyone who is guilty of cycling on a footway[/FONT]
 

jonesy

Guru
Hmm. That explains why so much of the urban sections of the NCN consist of white lines on pavements...
 

jonesy

Guru
Angelfishsolo said:
White lines on pavements usually imply cycleway or shared pavements. I am referring to pavements dedicated to pedestrians.

I know. But my point is that people who think cycling on the pavement should be permitted are more likely to want to put cycle paths on the pavement.
 

wafflycat

New Member
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Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
Take a look here

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1232121873552

wafflycat said:
Is it Sustrans? Possibly not. And as much as I'm no fan of Sustrans (ick.. ick..), according to Mentro Allan, the partners are:-

Sports Council for Wales – lead organisation
Countryside Council for Wales
National Public Health Service
Wales Council for Voluntary Action
Welsh Local Government Association

Perhaps an email to each outlining what happened (factual, not emotional) and asking if they condone activities carried out under the Mentro Allan banner to breaking the law?
 
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Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
It already has been done :-)
wafflycat said:
Include Sustrans in the list of who a complaint goes to then.
 
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Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
This is the response I received from my e-mail to Sustrans Wales.

Mentro Allan also forwarded me a contact form you sent them regarding cycling on the pavement with the group on Sunday. I'm sorry that you've been upset by this and I will speak to the leaders of the ride about this. With your permission, I will forward the comments to Steve Smith, who manages the cycle project there, leaving out your name to preserve your anonymity.

Please let me know if there is any further action you would like to take or if anything else has upset you and I will do my best to resolve things.

All the best,
 

wafflycat

New Member
Angelfishsolo said:
This is the response I received from my e-mail to Sustrans Wales.

Mentro Allan also forwarded me a contact form you sent them regarding cycling on the pavement with the group on Sunday. I'm sorry that you've been upset by this and I will speak to the leaders of the ride about this. With your permission, I will forward the comments to Steve Smith, who manages the cycle project there, leaving out your name to preserve your anonymity.

Please let me know if there is any further action you would like to take or if anything else has upset you and I will do my best to resolve things.

All the best,

Good response as a start, but do you think they may just have an inkling of which rider it was on the ride? :smile:
 
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