Westminster Council clamping down on cyclists...

If anyone is found listening to an 8 track in their car they should be given a fucking medal.

8 track users may not neccesarily conform to the above stereotype, but probably do

Wow is the cassette so dead.

8 track is awesome- no one can say that CD's will ever have the same associations.

I hope it happens, bet loads of threads will appear bitching, but hey if you can't do the time don't do the crime.

The anti social idiots have had it too good for too long

Your post is unclear- do you mean the old ladies or the cyclists?

8 track is awesome- no one can say that CD's will ever have the same associations.

Or iPods for that matter. All that convenience is just so very *un-*cool. If anyone is found listening to an 8 track on their bike they will be given an even bigger medal and a 531 awesome t-shirt from me.

Reckon Skully or Coppi That needs to get this set-up sorted on one of their wicked retro builds.

Or both?

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Or both?

You have found a picture of the utmost scourge of humanity- a lycra lout pensioner.

Able to run herself over whilst RLJ'ing, then leave herself for dead as she rides off down the pavement listening to her personal gramaphone player.

^^^gold!

Dear Mrs Harvey,

I have just read your article in the London Evening Standard, dated 7th December 2009, regarding the danger that cyclists pose to pedestrians on the streets of London and the need to enforce road laws more stringently with them.

I have noted that you were quoted as reporting "We're always getting little old ladies who are knocked down and abused by a cyclist [sic], who leave them on the ground as they ride away."

I have a number of questions regarding this statement that I hope you may be able to answer for me;

Firstly, how frequently do these sort of incidents actually happen, you state ‘always’, if your quote was indeed verbatim, can you put any kind of numerical figure on this information.

Secondly, I am very interested to know the source of the data that has informed your statement, namely the data the specifically refers to ‘little old ladies’ and cycle accidents in London. Is it possible to see this data? It sounds like a fascinating data set.

Thank you very much in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes

Dear Mrs Harvey,

I have just read your article in the London Evening Standard, dated 7th December 2009, regarding the danger that cyclists pose to pedestrians on the streets of London and the need to enforce road laws more stringently with them.

I have noted that you were quoted as reporting "We're always getting little old ladies who are knocked down and abused by a cyclist [sic], who leave them on the ground as they ride away."

I have a number of questions regarding this statement that I hope you may be able to answer for me;

Firstly, how frequently do these sort of incidents actually happen, you state ‘always’, if your quote was indeed verbatim, can you put any kind of numerical figure on this information.

Secondly, I am very interested to know the source of the data that has informed your statement, namely the data the specifically refers to ‘little old ladies’ and cycle accidents in London. Is it possible to see this data? It sounds like a fascinating data set.

Thank you very much in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes

Sexist - what about little old men? Ageist - What about children?

Hooded children always stab people, so I wouldn't worry.

^^ Need to make hoodies magnetic, then they won't be able to get the blades out of the pocket.

They'd shank you with a sharpened toothbrush.

Wow is the cassette so dead.

it is a fixed gear forum.

start of puns?

it is a fixed gear forum.

start of puns?

Didn't see that, but its not a good pun is it.

Must we derail this thread for more puns?

I know traffic wardens have been given the power some time ago to allow the nto deal with parking offenses, this was to stop police time being taken up. How was this authority passed on? Was their an act of parliament? Similarly under what law are the council (not the police) aloud to farm out tickets for traffic offenses. Anyone up this type of law?

Thanks, but how do the councils now have the right to issue fines for RLJ?

If I'm not wrong the councils do not currently have the power to issue fines to cyclists, as pointed out further back in the thread the LCC lobbied to have this legislation turned down. Westminster council would like to have this power based on what appears to be spurious fact bending.

I thought the LCC had defeated it from earlier on in the thread, I was just wondering by what new legal route they are trying to bring this in.

This 'poll' isn't very important but could do with a bit of balance:

**Should Westminster council staff award fixed-penalty notices to errant cyclists?
**
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/news/

Vote today, as it won't be on there for much longer.

Currently 67% 'yes' to 33% 'no'.

I got a response from Mrs Harvey's press office. I specifically asked for the data source... will look through the docs tomorrow.

Please find a release below about Westminster's Scrutiny Committee meeting and its calls to make sure that cyclists in the city cycle safely.

The Scrutiny committee scrutinises council policies, the police, TfL and other partners. When Scrutiny calls for recommendations the council is duty bound to look at them.

Following Scrutiny the council will examine the proposals to see if its council officers with on street enforcement powers - who address issues around licensing, noise and waste, should also be given the powers to stop cyclists who commit offences and break the Highway Code

For you reference Scrutiny is independent of the council and does not set policy or represent the council's official view - it is there to scrutinise it and offer suggestions on how to improve it.

Best wishes,

Emma

Link to report - (You want Item 4 Cyclist Conduct)
http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/committee/index.cfm?c_docs=Policy_and_Scrutiny_Committees/Current_P_and_S_Committees_and_Task_Groups/Built_Environment_PandS/2009/1%20December%202009

Oh, and this press realease was attached. It's long. Sorry.

egermain@westminster.gov.uk

WESTMINSTER BUILT ENVIRONMENT POLICY AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE PRESS RELEASE
Westminster's Scrutiny Committee says, for everyone’s safety, cyclists must stick to the rules

Cyclists who fail to follow the Highway Code will face a clampdown in Westminster following a huge increase in complaints about dangerous cycling in the capital.

Of the nearly 30,000 cyclists who come into Westminster everyday, sometimes as many as one in five, are choosing to ride on pavements, jump red traffic lights and zebra crossings or cycle the wrong way down one way roads, without regard for other people’s safety or their own.

Westminster’s Built Environment Policy and Scrutiny Committee has demanded that the police enforce the Code and hand out fines so these dangerous practices stop.

Committee chair, Cllr Angela Harvey, said: "Pedestrians are being knocked down on pavements by a hardcore element of anti-social cyclists who often shout at the pedestrian before cycling away. They have little regard for their own safety and that of other road users.”

"We welcome greener forms of travel and the majority of cyclists who cycle safely. But two wheels do not give a licence to treat all other roads users with contempt. We want to make sure that cyclists stick to the rules or face the consequences, just like other road users.

"We want the Police to treat cyclists as they would anyone else on the road by taking a much tougher enforcement stance. We need to make this type of dangerous cycling socially unacceptable, just like drink driving, as the consequences can be fatal. In addition to fines, we also want those who flout the rules to undergo training. "

The committee, which scrutinises council policies, the police, TfL and other partners, said the council should increase its cyclists training courses, which 600 people took part in last year, in order to raise awareness of the dangers of bad cycling.

Proposals to tackle cyclists include:

• Increase in police operations to enforce penalties for those flouting the Highway Code
  
• Civilian officers to be able to fine cyclists who are caught breaking the rules
  *TfL to launch London-wide campaign to make bad cycling socially unacceptable
  
  

It would also like to encourage TfL to provide training for bus, coaches and taxi drivers explicitly to help make the roads safer for cyclists. TfL should also distribute safe cycling pamphlets in bike repair shops.

For further media enquiries please contact Emma Germain in Westminster City Council's press office who will be able to put you in contact with the committee's chair.

Notes to Editors:

The number of cyclists on London's roads look set to increase by 400 per cent by 2025, from a 2000 base due to a number of schemes.

These include the Mayor's Central London Cycle Hire Scheme which will see people being able to rent bikes in a scheme similar to that used in Paris' Velo Scheme, as well as the Greenways project which aims to get more cyclists going to the city's parks and canals by providing a network of routes which run between parks and canals

Westminster has more bike stands than any other borough in the country, with room for more than 5000 bikes and this looks set to be extended due to initiatives such as the Mayor's bike hire scheme which will see 400 bikes dotted around the capital.

Summary of recommendations at committee:

• require the police to undertake increased enforcement action across Westminster
  

• require TfL to have a wide reaching public awareness campaign of the need to cycle safely and in accordance with the Highway Code

• require the Police to support the accreditation of the council's community safety teams to have the power to undertake enforcement action when cyclists break the law

• require TfL to dedicate resources from the crime reduction unit to tackling poor cyclist conduct
  -require TfL to improve bus driver safety performance

• lobby Central Government to require all professional cyclists such as couriers to be registered, with insurance which requires training in safe cycle, and that courier companies to sign up for professional registration

Link to report - (You want Item 4 Cyclist Conduct)
http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/committee/index.cfm?c_docs=Policy_and_Scrutiny_Committees/Current_P_and_S_Committees_and_Task_Groups/Built_Environment_PandS/2009/1%20December%202009

Oh dear, work to do.

Committee chair, Cllr Angela Harvey, said: "Pedestrians are being knocked down on pavements by a hardcore element of anti-social cyclists who often shout at the pedestrian before cycling away. They have little regard for their own safety and that of other road users.”

Fuck yeah!

This 'poll' isn't very important but could do with a bit of balance:

**Should Westminster council staff award fixed-penalty notices to errant cyclists?
**
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/news/

Vote today, as it won't be on there for much longer.

Currently 67% 'yes' to 33% 'no'.

Can someone get VB to do that clever thing he can do where any visit to any page here on Ldnfgss creates a vote of you choice ??