Cycling lane fines for motorists move supported in Darlington

QUOTE:
A GOVERNMENT move to grant councils powers to use CCTV to issue penalty charge notices to drivers who park or load illegally in mandatory cycle lanes, putting cyclists at risk of a serious accident has been welcomed.

Darlington Borough Council’s local services portfolio holder Councillor Andy Keir said if enacted, the change from June 22 would complement the authority’s ambitions and ongoing efforts to enable more cyclists to ride into the town centre safely.

The government announcement is the latest measure designed to develop a greener, healthier and more resilient transport network in towns and cities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is hoped the move will alleviate pressure on public transport infrastructure by giving people the confidence to use their bike for more journeys.

Cyclists in the borough have regularly called for more complained that cars parked in cycle lanes force them into the flow of traffic and that there are insufficient numbers of cycle lanes.

Chairman of cyclists’ group Darlington Velo and Green councillor Matthew Snedker welcomed the additional powers for councils, but said action to properly segregate cycle lanes from roads was needed.

He said: “The cycle lanes we do have are obstructed from time to time and at the moment we rely on members of the public phoning them into the council or police. Cycle lanes are no use if they are blocked by vehicles and it can be very dangerous if you are on a cycle lane if it is blocked half way along and there may be no way around it. If people obey the rules they have nothing to worry about.�

The government move comes as part of Bike Week, which will see a range of organisations – led by Cycling UK – encourage everyone to get pedalling to boost their fitness and protect the environment.

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