Why can't the bike brigade stick to the rules?

WHAT is it with my fellow commuter when he decides that riding a bike through London's gridlocked streets makes him king of the road? Admittedly, a cyclist in London deserves respect for putting his or her life on the line every time they saddle up. It may be a health issue that motivates some, but surely the fumes and treacherous state of some of our street surfaces would appear to negate that. Dicing with death as you career between cars, motorbikes and pedestrians is not everyone's idea of getting from A to B. For those who are prepared to ride the risks, while at the same time being mindful of other road-users, then good luck and safe cycling.

London has its fair share of arrogant, selfish, indeed idiotic drivers, but that's another rant.

My irritation is directed at those pedal-pushers for whom a bicycle represents something that's as much political as practical. These people often have scant regard for anyone else's rights and ride as if daring anyone to criticise their cycling skills.

Now this would be OK, but how many motorists share my disbelief at a cyclist, often with no safety headgear, paying no attention to rules of the road. This usually includes riding through red lights, cycling at night with no lights or illuminated clothing and passing on either side of your vehicle, even kicking your car if you're too close to the kerb. As for hand signals, they're optional unless they're obscene.

It's not just drivers, but pedestrians, too, who have to be careful when maverick twowheelers alternate between the road and the pavement occasionally scattering twofooters like bowling pins. What really infuriates drivers is that cyclists always appear to get away with it!

One of life's great mysteries for me concerning cyclists is the sudden appearance and then disappearance, in a matter of a few metres, of cycle lanes. Of course it's not the cyclists' fault and by all means, where room permits, let's have them. Like most transport issues in London, though, there's no consistency.

A cyclist journalist friend of mine is passionate about London's transport issues. He also dislikes the image of cyclists as being mad keen environmentalists in open-toed sandals. He thinks the Government could do more to help the plight of the cyclist and should organise a publicity campaign to get the message across that there is no such thing as a typical cyclist. He feels that selling the advantages of riding a bike to work or play, while saving money and keeping fit, would make a lot of people think about trying one.

On the other hand, our weather doesn't make for great cycling, and I reckon it's going to take a bit more than a PR offensive.

MY peddling pal counters this by suggesting that the Government encourages people to give up their older cars, which cause more pollution, by subsidising sales of bicycles. It could promise to give drivers some sort of credit note, only valid in bike shops, if they scrapped their old bangers. It would be a great way of getting rid of the worst-polluting cars.

There is still the matter of motorists and cyclists travelling in harmony and this could be accomplished with more cycle routes, not just lanes, and more strident policing. The idea of being forced to attend night school, as recently reported, for travel violations should apply to cyclists as well as motorists and might just make the overconfident among us think again.

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