The director of a cargo bike company has stated that motorists and cyclists are at war on Oxford's roads.

Jake Swinhoe, co-founder and director of Velocity Cycle Couriers, an ultra-low emission courier company, said there were "divisions" on the city streets between motorists and cyclists.

He said there were times when cyclists and drivers were "warring factions, shaking angry fists and hurling expletives at each other".

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Mr Swinhoe added: "There will come a day when motorists and cyclists amble along together, happily sharing the roadways with a friendly smile and a wave to acknowledge each other as fellow travellers with equal rights.

"Sadly the streets of Oxford paint a far more divided picture with warring factions shaking angry fists and hurling expletives at each other.

"For every car that cuts in to a cycle path there is a bicycle sailing through a red light. For every truck that pulls out without thinking once, thinking twice, then thinking bike, there is a cyclist with no lights at night and no helmet.

"Cargo bikes are becoming more and more common on our streets and the debate goes on about unlicensed, un-insured and irresponsible riders who don’t pay road tax and think they own the roads but is this the case from the point of view of a professional commercial cycle courier company?"

(Image: Jake Swinhoe) Velocity Cycle Couriers formed in 2022 and has grown to work and partner with more than 80 local businesses with the aim of reducing air pollution and carbon emissions in our city.

Further projects include working with Oxford City Council to support city centre and East Oxford businesses as well as partnering with Good Food Oxford to sell fresh produce from local farmers and growers in to Oxford’s Colleges, schools and hopefully hospitals.

Mr Swinhoe added: "Our riders will be out in all weather – rain, snow, frost and high winds – but are trained to obey the rules of the road and always consider other road users. 

"If an absent-minded tourist steps into the road with their face in a mobile phone we try to swerve past, give a jaunty ring on the bell and a cheery 'hello' even though this can be testing.

"Velocity have been on the streets of Oxford for more than two-and-a-half years and have learned a great deal about how to get around our city and how to best get along with fellow road users. 

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"In that time there have been two accidents involving cargo bikes – one where a delivery van reversed in to our bike and an amicable resolution of buying us a new mudguard was agreed, the other had a car shunt a stationary cargo bike causing some damage and then speeding off before our rider knew what happened. 

"Luckily this has meant us not having to trouble the extremely expensive insurance policies we have for our bikes and riders or cause any damage to other road users, pedestrians or brick walls.

(Image: Jake Swinhoe) "I personally am a bike rider and a motorist – I am conscious that a car or van does a lot more damage to a bike rider than a bike to a car so try to give cyclists a safe distance and a stress-free ride when I am on four wheels though equally when on a bike I endeavour to be visible, and not fly through red lights and be courteous to motorists."

Mr Swinhoe believes there are "good and bad road users".

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.