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Fines for safe cyclists
• THIS morning I was pulled over (or rather ambushed) by a group of police officers in Holborn who proceeded to issue me with a fixed penalty notice for contravening automatic traffic signals.
As a commuter to central London who has opted to use a bicycle in an effort to ease congestion, help the environment and keep fit, I found the experience rather depressing. I’m sure many cyclists who travel the same route daily and know the way the lights change at certain junctions are prone, for their own safety, to creep out just before the red changes to green.
Of course, I admit the offence and will pay the fine. But this kind of approach by police, who give out spot fines without even issuing a warning to those of us with no previous offences, is at best heavy-handed (the speedier cycle couriers merely shot past and most people fined were travelling at very slow speeds).
No one can fail to feel sorrow at the tragic death in recent weeks after a cyclist collided with a pedestrian. However, this sort of knee-jerk response is not going to help overall road safety – there will always be the reckless.
The answer for everyone’s safety is surely more cycle lanes. Can we anticipate spot fines for jaywalkers in future?
MARTIN GRAY
N4
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