Royal Parks says decision has been taken to protect public safety and “to keep this vital green space open for everyone”
Cycling will be banned in Richmond Park from tomorrow due to the numbers of cyclists who have been riding through.
A spokesperson said other Royal Parks remained open for cyclists as there was “no current evidence of congestion.”
Last weekend, Richmond Park Cyclists urged people to ride alone or risk being banned after images emerged showing cyclists queueing at one of the refreshment kiosks.
Rules on social distancing have been ignored by a number of visitors – not just cyclists – resulting in motor vehicles being banned from three Royal Parks and the closure of a number of cafés and kiosks.
Yesterday, Royal Parks threatened to close its parks to cyclists if rules weren’t respected.
A similar tweet was addressed to joggers, only without the threat of exclusion.
ITV now reports that cycling will be banned in Richmond Park from tomorrow (Saturday March 28) due to the volume of cyclists and the failure to observe social distancing rules.
A Royal Parks spokesperson explained: “It is necessary to suspend all cycling in Richmond Park to protect public safety and ultimately help keep this vital green space open for everyone. Cycling is still permitted in the other Royal Parks, where there is no current evidence of congestion.
“We’re continuously monitoring the situation and intervening where appropriate, with the support of the police, to reduce congestion in all areas across all our parks.
“Many parks are closing across the UK because people aren’t following the Government’s guidelines and people are gathering in groups of more than two.
“We really want to keep our eight parks open across London as they are such important green spaces for those that can reach them safely for daily exercise and to walk in nature.”
NHS workers can continue to cycle though the park if they show their staff pass.
A number of cyclists have questioned the move, arguing that there was little evidence people were failing to maintain distance from one another.
Reporting from the park on Monday, our news editor Simon MacMichael shot the footage below.
