Pedal Power
By Rupert Hitchcox
7 Feb 2012
Currently there is a huge push to get more bikes on the road and to make things safer, with so many taking up cycling, I my self ride the 10 miles into work every morning, in this story I have included photos where I bolted my camera to my bike to show how nerve shredding it can be riding into central london. At times I have counted some 15-20 cyclists at the lights, it's been counted that more cyclists cross Westminster bridge by the houses of parliament where the government sit, than cars do during rush hour.
There are cycle routes throughout out london sponsored by banks but also the famous south bank park where stunt riders go to perform their tricks.
There is talk of a licensing scheme like a drivers license where you have to sit something like a driving test before you can ride your bike on the road, but it's looking like that idea is going to be rejected.
Advertising is being displayed round the city showing blind spots for Heavy Good vehicles and other transportation.
In Bristol, a city to the South West of England they have opened up whole routes to cyclists, even closing down roads and making one of the lanes only available to cyclists and pedestrians, while here in london exhibition road has been pedestrianised so that everyone has equal rite of way, this in it's self has made things a lot safer after a trail run in Amsterdam reduced an accident hotspot to one crash in 8 years after it was made equal usage to any form of transport from walking to cars as everyone became more aware, this concept has been rumoured to be used on regent street in London. they have already lowered the kerbs on Oxford and Regent streets in Central London making it more pedestrian friendly, so it would not be a hard push to take this concept to the next stage.
1 response
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Kathy Liao said (8 Feb 2012):
A license to ride a bicycle? oh my..
It makes so much sense to have safe, dedicated bike lanes.. but would there be enough room on existing roads, especially if they were rather narrow?
