Sir – James Styring, chairman of Cyclox, the cycling campaign for Oxford, is very good at lecturing the police and appealing to them to enforce the 20mph speed limit on Oxford roads (Letters, March 18). And he is quite right in doing so. I assume he includes cyclists, in particular the boy racers who overtake me when I am driving at 20mph through Summertown.
It would be interesting also to know whether he is as stringent in advising cyclists to observe the rules of the road, such as signalling, riding on the correct side of the road, in the cycle lanes provided and displaying lights after dark and whether he advises them that they are breaking the law by riding on pavements. On the latter account, cyclists in Summertown and other parts of Oxford have a Triple A rating — arrogance, aggression and anti-social behaviour.
Thames Valley Police appear to have double standards. They fine motorists as a matter of course but the vast majority of cyclists pulled up for cycling on pavements are let off with a caution instead of the statutory £30 fine. Cyclists not only pose a danger to the elderly and young mothers with pushchairs, they are aggressive to the point of using threatening behaviour if they are advised politely that they should be cycling in the cycle lane provided and not the pavement. It was reported recently that enforcers, other than the police, could be given powers to fine errant cyclists and other anti-social people such as litter louts.
I have tried to get my MP and local councillor interested in this approach in protecting innocent pedestrians but they seem to have little interest in the matter.
It is time for the rights of pedestrians to be respected and it is shameful that the police are not protecting them. Cyclists breaking the law should be dealt with in the same manner as errant motorists.
Eddie Duller, Summertown, Oxford
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here