Our cycle lanes must be kept clear of parked cars

Tuesday 13 September 2011

It was good to see the coverage of the Sky Ride events ("Obree wabts to see safer roads for Scots cyclists", The Herald, September 12).

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Your reporter notes that rain and winds did not deter the cyclists but, as Graeme Obree so rightly comments, unsafe roads do. I greatly appreciate the improved cycle routes that have been developed over recent years and am grateful to groups such as local authorities and Sustrans and its many volunteers who keep these routes in good condition.

Mr Obree makes two very relevant points. First, he comments on the fact that cycle routes are often inefficient as commuter routes because they are circuitous. This is, of course, to avoid busy roads. The second and related point is about cycle lanes on busy routes. There are too few of these and they are of little or no use to cyclists because, as noted in your article, they are not enforced. My own regular route is from Bridge of Weir to Paisley. This is ideal and blissful cycling apart from a short stretch at Elderlsie where the route is a narrow cycle lane along a busy road. Almost every time I use this route, which I do once a week, there are cars parked across the cycle lane. This means I have to compete with traffic, cycle on pavement (illegal) or walk. This is enough to stop many people using what is otherwise an ideal route to work. Unless these lanes are improved and enforced, the rest is useless.Molly McGavigan,14 Fetlar Road,Bridge of Weir.Once again schools, and hence teachers, are supposed to cure all the problems of society (“Safety fears put brakes on bid for cycle training”, The Herald, September 8). Everyone complains that pupils are leaving school unable to perform the basic tasks of reading, writing and arithmetic, let alone foreign languages, sciences and so on. But when are these same people going to realise that if teachers are spending time doing other things such as cycling, sex education, drug education, financial education and so on, then they are not spending time on the basics.G. Braidwood Rodger,6 Woodhouse Court,Glasgow.I doubt anyone would disagree that the purpose of schools is, first of all , to teach the three Rs. Yet a suggestion is made that schools must teach cycling safety. Some already do – I’ve seen them. The time taken up by cycling, sex education, philosophy and pretend weddings take time away from core teaching – yet teachers, at both primary and secondary level are critised because of the high rate of illiteracy. Many parents manage to cover these areas with their children. It is what parents are for.Betty Mitchell,7 Oxhill Road,Dumbarton.

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Our cycle lanes must be kept clear of parked cars

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