Simon Macmichael
A cycling campaigner in Bedford has told the town’s council that the widening of pavements for pedestrians to enable social distancing during the coronavirus crisis is putting bike riders at risk on the road.
In a statement read out to Bedford Borough Council’s climate change committee, PeterBlakemanfrom Bedford Cycling Campaign said that the infrastructure “has made it more hazardous rather than safer for travelling,” reports Bedford Today.
“Motorists are raring to get ahead rather than staying behind a cyclist,” he explained. “And traffic is now coming back after the lockdown is eased.”
However, the Liberal Democrat Councillor Charles Royden, who is the council’s portfolio holder for environment, highways and transport, said it was impossible to create safe space for cyclists while also accommodating extra space for pedestrians.
