Lycra louts and Chav chariots
Like many cities Bath has a problem with youths riding motorcycles, mini motorcycles and quad bikes in public parks and on public footpaths.
As well as the danger to the riders, who often ride without helmets and sometimes with 2 or 3 riders on a machine, the use of these vehicles, (often "community" i.e stolen vehicles) in these public spaces is potentially lethal to the general public.
The danger of wheeled vehicles to pedestrians is no more obvious than on the Bath to Bristol Railway path. The path, developed by Sustrans in conjunction with local authorities is often referred to as the Bristol Bath cycle track, and there is no doubt that many cyclists that use it think of it purely as a cycle track and not as path shared by cyclists, pedestrians and horses.
So when walking on the railway path pedestrians are already in danger from the four-abreast lycra louts who hurtle towards you from the rear with no concern that you have not heard their almost silent approach. But now we have to add to this mix the yobs on their chav chariots; motorcycles, mini-motobikes and quad bikes, all of which are regularly encountered on the path at weekends when the path is full of wobbling toddlets learvning to ride their bicycles.
Surely it cannot be long before a child is injured or killed on the path?
Avon and Somerset had launched a campaign to stop of the use of these vehicles, but this seems to be aimed at their use on the public highway, not public paths and open spaces.
Bath blog welcomes your commens on this subject
As well as the danger to the riders, who often ride without helmets and sometimes with 2 or 3 riders on a machine, the use of these vehicles, (often "community" i.e stolen vehicles) in these public spaces is potentially lethal to the general public.
The danger of wheeled vehicles to pedestrians is no more obvious than on the Bath to Bristol Railway path. The path, developed by Sustrans in conjunction with local authorities is often referred to as the Bristol Bath cycle track, and there is no doubt that many cyclists that use it think of it purely as a cycle track and not as path shared by cyclists, pedestrians and horses.
So when walking on the railway path pedestrians are already in danger from the four-abreast lycra louts who hurtle towards you from the rear with no concern that you have not heard their almost silent approach. But now we have to add to this mix the yobs on their chav chariots; motorcycles, mini-motobikes and quad bikes, all of which are regularly encountered on the path at weekends when the path is full of wobbling toddlets learvning to ride their bicycles.
Surely it cannot be long before a child is injured or killed on the path?
Avon and Somerset had launched a campaign to stop of the use of these vehicles, but this seems to be aimed at their use on the public highway, not public paths and open spaces.
Bath blog welcomes your commens on this subject
posted by www.loial.co.uk at 2:07 AM
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