A Spalding businessman has said cyclists riding on the pavement in Spalding continue to be a blight, despite new signs designed to “educate” riders that it is not acceptable.
Phil Davis, owner of Rumblings Cafe and Rumblings To Go in The Crescent, said a member of staff was knocked down by a cyclist going the wrong way down the one-way street.
“It’s not just one group of people or children, it’s a general problem,” said Phil, who wants harsher consequences for those caught riding on paths.
Spalding Police Inspector Gareth Boxall said that the problem of riders on pavements is “not a new issue” but added that signs have been put up around Spalding to educate cyclists.
“To remedy it completely we’d need a police officer or PCSO on every street, 24 hours a day. Once someone’s told to get off their bike, when they go round the corner they can get back on it again. That’s not to say we’re defeated by the problem and as part of our daily business we challenge people for riding on the pavement.
“The signs that have appeared around town are there to educate people,” he said.
However, Insp Boxall said this hard line is confined to the town, where riding on the pavement is “annoying and dangerous”.
Insp Boxall said: “I would not deter anyone from riding on a pavement out on a main road. There are no pedestrians there and it’s safer for you to do so. I would be upset if a police officer started challenging people for riding on the pavement out in the middle of nowhere where it is a perfectly safe thing to do.”
But extra efforts in town will come soon, said Insp Boxall: “As the town gets busier towards Christmas we will see patrols dedicated to dealing with these town centre issues: anti-social behaviour, riding throught the precinct and on paths and retail theft.”
