Drop in tickets for cyclists but police deny being lenient

CYCLISTS who break the rules of the road are being given an easy ride after figures revealed there was a 43.8 per cent drop in the number of enforcement actions being issued in London in the first six months of this year.

The latest statistics show that enforcement in the capital for offences such as cycling through a red light, riding without lights at night and cycling on the pavement, fell dramatically.

In total, 1,825 cyclists faced enforcement action by the police in the first six months of this year, down from 6,500 throughout the entirety of last year, in figures seen by The Times.

Meanwhile, 54,419 motorists were caught by police between January and June 2020, compared with 91,870 last year.

In recent months, the Government has urged commuters to take up cycling, as has it attempted to encourage people back into shops and workplaces all the while trying to avoid overcrowding on public transport.

In May, Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, announced a £2 billion package to create a new era for cycling and walking. As part of the package, the Government announced the creation of pop-up bike lanes with protected space for cycling, wider pavements, and cycle and bus-only corridors. Vouchers for cycle repairs were also promised to encourage members of the public to return to their old bikes.

Commenting on the latest figures, Det Supt Andy Cox, head of Vision Zero, a programme to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on London’s transport system by 2041, argued that the police have tried to prioritise the most dangerous road users.

He said: “I’ve been super clear to our staff that our priority is to target the most risky issues and people, and that is about protecting the cyclist, not targeting the cyclist.” According to Mr Cox, the figures are not the consequence of police taking a lenient approach to cyclists but instead reflect a more targeted, smarter approach to policing.

“I have told the team: ‘Your job is to target the highest risk.’” he added. “And I don’t want to go after enforcement which produces lots of fines and results and so on, but actually isn’t where it’s most needed.”

This sentiment is supported by cycle campaigners who argue that cyclist safety has often been an afterthought in infrastructure and road planning.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns at Brake, the road safety charity, said: “There is no argument against the police focusing their resources on targeting the greatest dangers on our roads.”