Cyclist suffers life-threatening injuries in fall
LANCASHIRE County Council is urging people to plan their journeys to help minimise congestion as children return to school.
The roads are expected to be at their busiest since pre-lockdown as most pupils return to the classroom for the first time since March.
With some schools expected to introduce special access arrangements to help social distancing and keep year-group ‘bubbles’ apart, parents are being asked not to add to congestion outside schools while everyone gets used to the new systems.
It is estimated around half of pupils live within two miles of their school and, wherever possible, families are being asked to arrange for pupils to walk or cycle.
The current Switch to Cycling campaign is looking to build on an increase in people cycling during lockdown with lots of information and advice.
The county council’s highways and transport teams will be closely monitoring the situation on the roads in order to respond as quickly as possible to any local issues.
Public buses cannot carry the same number of passengers they usually would due to social distancing measures, and everyone is being asked to try and avoid travelling on public buses at peak times, particularly if they could walk or cycle instead.
County Councillor Keith Iddon, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “If the continued restrictions on public transport lead to more journeys being made by car there could well be localised congestion problems, and I’d ask people to consider alternatives, particularly cycling for short journeys.
“This is a national issue, which is why the government has given councils funding for measures to make cycling easier. The pop-up cycle lanes and road closures to create quieter routes for cycling mean there’s never been a better time to start cycling for short journeys, and it could also make your journey quicker and less stressful.”
Parents and pupils are reminded that it is now the law that those aged 11 and over must wear a face covering on public transport, and in transport hubs, such as bus and railway stations.
New advice from the Department for Education is that students aged 11 and over should also wear a face covering on dedicated school transport, other than those who are exempt. This reflects that ‘1 metre plus’ social distancing measures will not uniformly apply on buses, and will help to minimise the risk of the virus spreading.
Cllr Iddon added: “Travel to schools is a particular issue, and while it’s difficult to predict how people may have changed their habits due to the pandemic, we are working with schools and transport operators to identify any potential issues and respond accordingly.
“There will be extra buses from day one on some routes we predict to be particularly busy, and we are closely monitoring the situation in case problems emerge in other areas.
“I would ask everyone to recognise that the changes that will take place as term starts will inevitably throw up some local problems and we will do our best to try to resolve these as quickly as possible, but please bear with us in the meantime.
“It will help if people can plan their journeys, and be patient while everyone gets used to new routines, and we look to provide solutions to any problems.
“The schools going back will be a big step towards normality, but we all need to remember that the coronavirus is still with us, and we all need to take responsibility to prevent its spread by wearing face coverings where necessary and practicing good hygiene at all times.”
A CYCLIST suffered life-threatening head injuries after coming off his bike in Skelmersdale.
The 42-year-old Burscough man was riding along Tanhouse Road when he flew off the Dawes mountain bike at the junction with Elmstead.
He was taken to hospital by ambulance and is now described as having suffered serious, possibly life-threatening, head injuries.
The incident occurred at around 1.30pm and the road was closed for three hours while specialist investigators attended the scene.
Police do not currently believe any other vehicles were involved but are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or saw the cyclist in the moments before to come forward.
Sgt Tracey Ward, of the Lancashire Police TacOps Team, said: “The cyclist has come off his bike while riding along Tanhouse Road and in the process has suffered extremely serious injuries. He remains in hospital and our thoughts are very much with him.
“Although we do not believe any other vehicles were involved, we are still trying to piece together exactly what led to the incident.
“Maybe you saw what happened, saw the cyclist in the moments before or perhaps you have dashcam footage taken in that area at around the same time.
“Whatever information you have, we would urge you to get in touch straight away.”
Anybody with information is asked to get in touch on 101, quoting log number 754 of August 31.