Cyclists putting walkers at risk

I was delighted to read your article reporting on the demand for bikes and a cycle super highway [‘Lockdown cycling boom sparks huge demand for bikes’, Gazette, June 25], both of which I support whole-heartedly, particularly as we hope to turn our city green. But with one major caveat.

I navigate Canterbury as a pedestrian, and though I don’t want to sound like a ‘grumpy old woman’, I am really fed up with the lack of consideration by bikers in and around the city, and on our footpath.

I believe all bikes are sold with a bell; but many must rust with disuse. While walking along the Pilgrim’s Way, only one in 10 bikers coming up behind a pedestrian rings the bell or calls out; they can see where they are going, but I do not have eyes in the back of my head, nor do I have the quality of hearing I used to enjoy. Do they not realise that I might suddenly stop to admire the view, or turn to my companion? Safety for the walker is never in their mind; respect and courtesy seem forgotten virtues.

Since when has it become standard for all bikers to feel free to use the pavements – any pavements, anywhere? Even during lockdown, with the number of cars much reduced, bikers still choose the pavement instead of the road, despite the road being perfectly clear. And they don’t reduce their speed. What if the pedestrian trips into their path, can they stop in time? I think not. The nuisance of bikers and deliverers slaloming through the pedestrianised High Street has been mentioned in these pages before, but there has been improvement in the flagrant disregard for the comfort and security of the pedestrians. Just as bikers deplore the inconsideration of car drivers, so they must understand that their assumption of ownership of the pavement is an affront to the comfort of pedestrians, as well as a real danger.

I would be grateful to hear from the council what rules and restrictions, if any, apply to this poor behaviour.

Judith Dimond

Dryden Close, Canterbury