--- In [email protected], "Steve Haywood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 2008/10/2 Richard Fairhurst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > --- In [email protected], "Michael Askin" <mykaskin@> wrote: > > > Looks like BW don't have a cash shortage, as now they can afford to > > > police the towpaths of London: > > > > In fairness the press release does actually say "British Waterways, in > > partnership with > > Transport for London", so I assume the post is joint-funded. > > > > Richard > > > > > > And this is a serious job that needs to be done. For those out of town, you > may imagine London's towpaths like those near home. Disabuse yourself of the > idea. Imagine London cyclists as the two-wheeled equivilant of their > four-wheeled colleagues. Imagine in some places pedestrians as thick on the > ground as your local High Street on a Saturday. Already rumble strips have > been put down on the towpath, and markings painted, but this hasn't solved > the problem. This is a serious accident waiting to happen, and some of us > have been banging on about how something's going to have to be done to avoid > some future court case which could cost BW a deal more than a half share in > a few wardens. > > Steve > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >
Its not just London. I had a cyclist deliberately hit me last Wednesday on the K&A between Burghfield & Reading. Despite the fact that the towpath is not really wide enough for cyclists to pass walkers safely. I note its signed as a National Cycle Route. Likewise on parts of the western K&A great gangs of lycra louts, heads down, bums up, seem to hold races and to hell with any walkers, boaters or fishefolk. I even saw the Devises lock keeper on his quad bike look the other way as a cyclist came down the flight so fast he actually took off at each hump. I have noticed over the last few summers that a lot of the difficult sections of towpath show considerable damage from cycle wheels and boaters now have to take care where they moor because if there are any puddles there is a good chance that they or their boat will get sprayed with mud & grit as cyclists plough on. It is all very well BW ringing their hands and saying there is not anything they can do about it because of cost but they should have got the policing sorted BEFORE they took national & local authorities' money to "upgrade" them. We are back to the fact that the statutes under which BW operate are not fit for purpose (I include the non-license & mooring payers, adhoc long term moorings - some with BW signs, and other antisocial waterways related activities). I see no reason cyclists who want to use the waterways' paths should not pay, just like (some?) fishermen and boaters. The problem is collecting the cash but if there was a statuary right to impound non-licensed cycles until the back license fees and a fine was paid a work flat and a few spot checks would soon get message out about responsible cycling. It would also allow the enforcement of the cyclist speed limit signs I recently saw. At the moment they are a waste of money. I would challenge anyone from BW to state exactly how much the receive from Sustran etc. as ANNUAL contributions to path MAINTENANCE. I think the answer is a very round figure. Please do not go one about the government grant. That has no more to do with cyclists being expected to pay for access than it does for boaters. If we all got free access it might be different. Tony Brooks
