Guardian Article "Cyclopaths on the Tow Paths"

[Wanderer Vagabond]

2 hours ago, Chewbacka said:

Current laws are difficult to enforce because they are fuzzy, what constitutes reckless cycling or anti social cycling?  So difficult to prosecute.  Better to have something very clear like you must leave say a 1 meter gap when passing pedestrians or dismount and walk past, then it’s easy to use video evidence.  Also should be on the spot fines so no protracted and expensive court case.  Then you enforce by ‘complaints’ as often the most objectionable cyclists take the same route at the same time each working day etc, so easy to catch them.

As the other poster has said, there are plenty of laws that could be used, but the mentality seems to be "Something must be done, lets have a 'new' law, that should sort it". I have also put emphasis upon who you think will be enforcing these new laws, because those tasked with law enforcement, at the moment, have a whole lot of seriously higher priorities to deal with (knife crime for starters) so it becomes an 'either or' situation, do you want to take people away from serious crime enquiry to have a 'jolly' wandering along the towpath? They aren't going to catch anyone since as soon as they are seen they will be avoided, re my earlier example of the half wit riding his motorbike along the towpath at Leigh, two PCSO's then appeared and an hour later he was back. Of course if you want your video evidence, then lets install CCTV cameras every 100 metres along the towpath shall we?

[GUMPY]

An old london boater I knew had the answer to motorbikes on the towpath.

Two 8ft lengths of 2x2 painted black laid across the towpath spaced about 50 yards either side of his boat.