Danger, orcas in the street! Cycle lane safety markers put pedestrians in hospital
A GROWING number of compensation claims are being lodged against councils over injuries sustained in cycle lanes installed as part of the SNP-Green Government’s push for ‘active travel’.
Many of the cases relate to so-called ‘orcas’, the black and white rubber humps bolted onto the tarmac, which lawyers say can blend visually with the road.
One man told how he broke his elbow after tripping over one of the devices which had been fitted at the side of a cycle lane to separate it from the rest of the road.
Lawyers said it was ‘ironic’ that measures introduced to increase safety had resulted in people being hospitalised, while victims called for removal of the orcas.
At least 40 claims over cycle lane injuries have been lodged against local authorities in Scotland in the past three years.
Glasgow City Council is facing at least 27 claims, with many centred on what has become a cycle lane accident hotspot next to the city’s St Enoch Square. Further legal claims are continuing in Edinburgh, including a crash on Princes Street.
Angus Council has seen several claims, with others in East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and South Ayrshire. Scottish Government quango Transport Scotland issued an updated national strategy in June which laid out plans for greater active travel, including ‘encouraging demand’.
A chart titled Prioritising Sustainable Transport showed ‘walking and wheeling [wheelchair use]’ as top priority, followed by cycling and public transport, with private cars at the bottom.
Orcas – named after their resemblance to killer whales – are meant to warn cyclists and motorists of the boundary between carriageway and cycle lane. But Joel Shaw, a lawyer with Thompsons Solicitors, said: ‘The so-called orcas are causing havoc and catastrophic injuries with pedestrians across Scotland and the cases I’m handling are the tip of the iceberg.
‘It’s ironic that a measure brought in to protect road users is actually causing harm. Local authorities need to radically rethink their use.’
Diane Cooper, partner at Digby Brown solicitors, said: ‘Where orcas or similar measures are not painted appropriately – for example, if they are grey and blend with the colour of the road – then there is arguably a greater risk that a cyclist, pedestrian or other road user could suffer an injury.’
Glasgow City Council said: ‘All of our cycling infrastructure is subject to a rigorous safety audit and must be completed to the satisfaction of an independent road safety engineer and road safety specialists from the police.
‘All claims are determined on a case-by-case basis.’