Thursday, 27 November 2014

Letter to Ashford Herald

Ashford Herald Nov 27th. 2014. page 3.

Report entitled: “Residents worried as cars drive on footpath (and cycleways).”

KCC were reported to have stated that they ‘had to improve safety only where there had been recorded incidents’. So does this mean that where residents are concerned about road safety, KCC will not take any action to reduce the danger until someone is killed or seriously injured? This is what Roadpeace refer to as a ‘body-count philosophy’, and it is not acceptable. The aim should be to prevent incidents before they happen, and not to wait until they do, to make a sacrifice just to prove a point.
In this same article the police were quoted as saying that vehicles parked on a cycleway (and footway) are not a matter for the police to enforce. If the police wont, then who should?
A cycleway is a public highway, and it is an offence to obstruct it. It is also an offence to drive onto a pavement, and to obstruct that.
Pedestrians and cyclists are treated as third rate-citizens. Good footways, and quality cycleways are in short enough supply, without those we do have being obstructed by motor vehicles.



Ted Prangnell CTC, member of Roadpeace, and Living Streets.

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