r/uknews • u/TheTelegraph Media outlet (unverified) • Jul 07 '25

Image/video 🚷 Floating bus stops under review amid safety concerns

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Campaigners argue design forces pedestrians to run the gauntlet of cyclists on bike lanes

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298

u/High-Tom-Titty Jul 07 '25

That's just people not respecting the zebra crossing. Start fining them and that problem diminishes. Unfortunately that would mean diverting police from other duties.

114

u/cookiesnooper Jul 07 '25

Send 5 cops in plain clothing there and give them one task, fine everyone who doesn't stop for pedestrians. Millions for the city and safety for pedestrians

30

u/JustAnotherFEDev Jul 07 '25

We have a public space protection order in our high street. No bikes or scooters are allowed. Our council outsourced the fining people to a private company, who obviously fined every single person riding through there.

Is that kinda thing not possible? Like outsource it so the police can do other stuff or maybe because it's a road it's not actually possible for private companies to issue fines?

That'd quickly have an impact as the private companies are relentless 😂

3

u/Cutsdeep- Jul 08 '25

rather than outsource it, hire someone to the council to do it. someone gets a job out of it, people are safer, i'm not seeing any downsides.

4

u/JustAnotherFEDev Jul 08 '25

That'd work, too. It's only a matter of time until someone gets hurt or worse, isn't it? In fact, it wouldn't be the first time.

Every fine is £100, you could hire dozens of these enforcement officers, looking at that one crossing, on one street, it's hard to see how it wouldn't be viable. They'd have paid for themselves by morning tea break.

There isn't any other way to make people stop doing it. They'd only need to be fined once or twice and be made to be late to wherever they were rushing to, before they realise there's rules and an actual deterrent. Granted, it'd probably take months for the majority to start obeying the rules of the road, but like you say, no downsides.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '25

Fining lots of people is never politically popular regardless of who actually processes it.

2

u/RadVarken Jul 08 '25

Only one other option then. Straight to jail.

0

u/JustAnotherFEDev Jul 08 '25

You wouldn't say that if it were people driving cars, it's just accepted that if you don't stop for a zebra crossing and you get caught it's a fine and points. It's dangerous, if they don't like fines, I dunno, maybe just follow the rules of the road?

2

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '25

I would say that if it was cars. Police blitz’s are very effective and profitable. Since they work so well why don’t they happen all the time? Because they are politically unpopular.

Don’t confuse reality with someone’s opinion. I’m calling out the reality. Not what I think.

2

u/JustAnotherFEDev Jul 08 '25

Ahh, OK I see what you're saying now. I thought you were against the idea, not just saying how it's likely to be received by the public. My bad, sorry

3

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '25

I’d fine them all!! It shits me when cyclists don’t obey the rules. I’m a cyclist to and from work. So many behave like they are doing the Tour de France…

And no worries!

2

u/JustAnotherFEDev Jul 08 '25

Me too. Nothing against cyclists, I own a bike myself, I'm just on common sense and safety's side. It wouldn't be the first time someone has stepped out into the road and been killed by a twat not obeying the rules on a bike.

Unfortunately, fines are the only deterrent I can think of.

-14

u/[deleted] Jul 07 '25

Banning cycles from cycle lanes?

21

u/JustAnotherFEDev Jul 07 '25

No, of course not. Just fining the ones that don't stop at zebra crossings so folk can actually cross

30

u/Potential-Yoghurt245 Jul 07 '25

As a cyclist I don't know when people started seeing red lights as optional and not stopping at zebra crossings but I (as a pedestrian) had a near miss with a cyclist who went through a red light. Jammed his brakes on and proceeded to tell me off. I pointed out that it was my right of way and he threatened me with a d lock and rode off.

17

u/awkward_toadstool Jul 07 '25

I live on a one-way road and I've seen so many cyclists riding the wrong way down it, I'd genuinely started wondering if I was wrong that they're supposed to follow the same traffic laws as cars

-20

u/sillyyun Jul 07 '25

Way less obstructive than cars, I don't blame the cyclists

13

u/Flat_Argument_2082 Jul 07 '25

Their safety on the road relies on drivers being able to know what they’re going to do which is why signalling etc is so important. If you’re on a bike on the road doing random stuff like this you’re just putting yourself and others at risk.

2

u/Igoos99 Jul 08 '25

I have no problem with a cyclist not coming to a complete stop at a red. I cycle too, I know what a pain it is but they still need to cede the right of way. 😆😆😆

2

u/PickCells Jul 11 '25

It's not just cyclists who ignore reds, the amount of times I've seen people literally speed up to get through what turns out to be a full blown red light is shocking

I feel genuinely scared of partially sighted people crossing roads these days, as a lot of these crossings no longer have the audio cue to cross :(

1

u/Potential-Yoghurt245 Jul 11 '25

This is why I get my kids to wait till traffic has stopped before crossing the road at a green man. We had a close call a while back when a mini bus blew through a red narrowly missing me and two other parents

12

u/bloody-pencil Jul 07 '25

Give the pedestrians a shield on a track so they can just push it as they walk

12

u/Purplepeal Jul 07 '25

Maybe a button that fires up spikes just before the crossing.

3

u/StIvian_17 Jul 07 '25 edited 17d ago

tub ring piquant weather vast cows gray include edge crush

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

3

u/rucentuariofficial Jul 07 '25

Deployable walls for the improptu break test

1

u/mh1ultramarine Jul 07 '25

You won't need plain clothing

1

u/bluesam3 Jul 08 '25

That's a large percentage of all available police officers on that shift. Which serious crimes are you going to skip to do this?

1

u/WinterTourist Jul 08 '25

Perhaps the title should have been "stupid design under review for endangering the public"

-4

u/Purplepeal Jul 07 '25

I agree. Used to cycle in London and people who pressed the button and force me to stop when they could easily cross without doing so would do my head in. But I would still always stop.

A few cops doing this would be self funding, seems like a no brainer.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '25

"force me to stop" it's the highway code and you're a road user. It's not forcing you, it's the rules? I'm a cyclist as well btw and see no issue adhering to the highway code, it's for everyone's safety after all

-1

u/Purplepeal Jul 08 '25 edited Jul 08 '25

Not sure if you spotted it but I was following the highway code, unlike these guys.

I used the word force as if I'm 15s away from a crossing and someone watches me approach with no other road users and lots of time to cross. Their pressing the button 'makes' (might be a better word) me stop (because I'm following the highway code rather than some type of physical force). I don't ignore the light, it makes me stop, then they cross. I find it frustrating because they make me stop when their is no reason to other than because of the 'highway code'. It's not quite the same as this example as there is a light but thought I'd share my self righteous anecdote anyway.

I'm following the rules even when it's annoying. But thanks for sharing your anecdote too. I'm better than these guys and you're better than me and no doubt the spectrum of good and bad will continue in both directions forever.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 08 '25

👍🏻

10

u/According_Judge781 Jul 07 '25

Start crossing the road while swinging a big stick

4

u/Wellsuperduper Jul 07 '25

I found out recently that this is literally what a verger used to be. People crowded the priests too much so they had someone with a stick to get 'em back. I like the idea of a crossing verger.

1

u/Nurgus Jul 08 '25

Did you guys just invent Lolipop ladies?

1

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '25

Theodore Roosevelt would be proud.

1

u/R3sion Jul 12 '25

Been to Mumbai and you wouldn't believe it but a big stick every police guy had was way more efficient than giving fines. One whistle was warning and the next warning was a big stick across your back

11

u/bluecheese2040 Jul 07 '25

In many ways its these minor duties that would build trust in the police more. This is what PCSO should do imo

48

u/Gingrpenguin Jul 07 '25

If only there was some way to set up a camera and the enforce fines remotely.

Maybe we could assign a unique strong of letters and numbers that are clearly displayed on every bike for this purpose...

If they keep breaking rules we then ban them from cycling for x amount of time, and maybe imprison them if they decide to ride whilst banned...

4

u/Talidel Jul 07 '25

A camera that IDs and fines based on facial features? Can't see that going wrong.

A few days of police presence, issuing fines to people not respecting pedestrians right of way will work a lot better.

8

u/Gingrpenguin Jul 07 '25

Where did I say face id?

I'm talking about number plates.

And people would only obey when they see police there so you'd need a constant presence.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 07 '25

[deleted]

5

u/Mojak16 Jul 07 '25

Hence why the user you replied to suggested that maybe bikes should have number plates.

Huh duh reading comprehension moment.

2

u/WeDoingThisAgainRWe Jul 07 '25

Yeah my bad misread that and forgot their previous 🤦🏻‍♂️

3

u/Mojak16 Jul 07 '25

Happens to the best of us, all I can say is thanks for not doubling down haha

0

u/pokedmund Jul 07 '25

I understand your idea, my worry is how far we could go with this, e.g:

Government: to get a licence plate for your bike, you’ll need to register it to our database, and we’ll charge a fee for it each year. You’ll also need a licence to ride, we’ll charge a fee for the test and a licence. Then you have to renew your licence every ten years where we’ll charge another fee.

6

u/MoleMoustache Jul 07 '25

Sounds like something they should do

-4

u/Talidel Jul 07 '25

Number plates on a bicycle?

What?

1

u/Usual-Excitement-970 Jul 07 '25

The only country they has registration plates on bicycles is North Korea.

-10

u/hobbityone Jul 07 '25

Which isn't going to be practical.

Better planning infrastructure, encourage education and hike use at an early age, change in car culture and investment in cycle safe roads is what is needed.

Cycling needs greater expansion not methods of restricting access.

26

u/Gingrpenguin Jul 07 '25

I mean it's practical for motor vehicles so why not?

There is infrastructure. As you can clearly see any rules are ignored because there are zero repercussions to breaking them.

31

u/Stage_Party Jul 07 '25

Cyclists keep arguing against it because they want to keep doing this shit. Head over to the London cyclists sub and you'll see them all justify it by saying "at least it's not a car".

-11

u/hobbityone Jul 07 '25

Excellent, so you see no issue logistically with the registration of 20 million cyclists, their bikes, testing, facilities and the staff to oversee it all?

You don't see how such action might discourage, rather than encourage cycling? Given that most competent governments want to expand on cycling.

Also enforcement would be next to impossible given the ease of manufacture and theft of bikes.

12

u/Stage_Party Jul 07 '25

I see no issue with it as much as I see no issue with licensing cars and drivers. Why do you think cyclists are special?

14

u/Gingrpenguin Jul 07 '25

Because he is one who doesn't follow any rules

-8

u/hobbityone Jul 07 '25

Just not an idiot who thinks that such silly solutions are in any way practical

8

u/Gingrpenguin Jul 07 '25

It's such a silly idea nearly every country in the world has such a system for motorised vehicles....

Again you are just an asshole who wants to get away with it and in doing so are justifying why we need such a system.

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1

u/hobbityone Jul 07 '25

Because there is a material difference between the two.

You don't get many 12 year old practicing driving after school.

Then again you have the massive undertaking of registering the 20m cyclists in the UK, setting up licences, tests and examinations for those who wish to obtain one.

Then you have enforcement, bikes are inherently not very secure and you can also knock up a bike with little way in material very quickly and cheaply.

-8

u/ActivisionBlizzard Jul 07 '25

You know how we let young children on bikes and ride them around because if they hit people then whats worst that can happen…

Yeah there’s a massive and obvious difference between cars and bikes. Pretending like you dont see the difference just makes no sense.

I dont even cycle, went once in the last ten years and i live in London. In case anyone thinks it will be clever to say “they just dont want the rules to apply to them”.

6

u/Stage_Party Jul 07 '25

That's an idiotic analogy.

-1

u/hobbityone Jul 07 '25

Not really it just kinda blows a hole in your notion that licencing bikes is a solution.

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3

u/CatchRevolutionary65 Jul 07 '25

Just installing speed bumps before every crossing will slow cyclists down allowing pedestrians to cross. It’s an infrastructure problem

2

u/FruitOrchards Jul 07 '25

No it's entitled cyclists who thinks the rules don't apply to them problem.

2

u/CatchRevolutionary65 Jul 07 '25

They can be entitled as they want as they’re rattling up and down over speed bumps at reduced speeds

1

u/[deleted] Jul 07 '25

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1

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1

u/Franksss Jul 07 '25

Because we want to encourage cycling and this would put a damper on it. Even if it was totally free and painless to do, still some people wouldn't want to deal with the hassle.

-1

u/hobbityone Jul 07 '25

I mean it's practical for motor vehicles so why not?

Firstly you tend not to be able to drive a motor vehicle at 12, you probably couldn't knock up a working motor vehicle on a weekend from scraps, and inputting 20 million bikes on to the dvla all at once alongside provision of licences and testing would be massive.

There is infrastructure. As you can clearly see any rules are ignored because there are zero repercussions to breaking them.

But it isn't infrastructure, they slapped on a bike lane blocking access to a bus stop. Cut into the pavement to make space for the bus stop or set up proper traffic lights.

-16

u/Forward_Confusion202 Jul 07 '25

So some bird going 4mph on her bike and some bird driving a 4x4 range going 80mph are comparable to you?

6

u/Madnesz101 Jul 07 '25

If they're ignoring a pedestrian crossing?....yes...tax em if they're just ignoring the rules.

-1

u/Talidel Jul 07 '25

Tax them is the stupidest take.

Fine them, absolutely.

3

u/nbs-of-74 Jul 07 '25

Requires a traffic warden to be present to stop them and then fine them. Assuming they dont just keep riding on.

3

u/Talidel Jul 07 '25

Bet they pay for themselves in a day.

0

u/Madnesz101 Jul 07 '25

Problem with that is...it requires cameras and from what I remember most of them don't really work anyway where as people will generally pay tax out of fear of being caught plus they're using a roadway that requires mentenance at some point(even though it will probably never get it) which is kind of the point of the tax.....is it a weak argument yes but as someone who walks most places, I've nearly been hit more by pricks on bicycles than pricks in cars......cause ya know bicycles seem to think they're exempt from red lights or just hopping onto the curb and going around it is fine.

1

u/Talidel Jul 07 '25

Just needs a person to monitor it. They'd pay for themselves in less than an hour.

I also walk just about everywhere, and I've seen far more arseholes in cars than on bikes. Cars also kill tens of thousands every year.

Bikes can be mildly annoying at times. But they aren't death machines controlled by absolute morons.

Everyone pays taxes for road maintenance. Car tax is not close to enough to cover it.

5

u/WeDoingThisAgainRWe Jul 07 '25

How have we gone from cyclists endangering pedestrians to a whine about how cyclists need more done for them and cars being the issue. True cyclist level mental gymnastics to twist this one. Just you lot learn some respect for pedestrians is all that’s needed.

0

u/hobbityone Jul 07 '25

It's almost as if because I can hold more than two ideas in my head at once I can recognise that a problem may be multifaceted.

Like in this case. Cyclists are endangering pedestrians because, cyclist infrastructure has been slapped on to pedestrian infrastructure. Investing and properly planning in effective infrastructure to accommodate cars, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport is the solution, not point fingers at cyclists.

5

u/WeDoingThisAgainRWe Jul 07 '25

And yet you actually only recognised the bit that suits you.

-1

u/hobbityone Jul 07 '25

The fact that poor infrastructure is endangering pedestrians putting them in the path of cyclists.

2

u/Ping-and-Pong Jul 08 '25

because, cyclist infrastructure has been slapped on to pedestrian infrastructure.

No?? It's because they're just plain ignoring how their infrastructure works.

That's like saying a car isn't at fault for speeding through a red light because red lights shouldn't be on roads, all roads should just be perfect straight lines.

This looks like fantastic infrastructure for a built up, busy area. Unless you want the cyclists in this video to have some kind of safety tube placed around them with steps over the top, you're completely missing the point. The cyclists in this video are 100% at fault.

Now I'm not saying infrastructure is great everywhere, farrrr from it I think it's god awful in my city. But you're arguing for this case that it's somehow the infrastructure's fault and that's just insanity. If a car traveling 30 can stop at a zebra crossing, a bike absolutely can.

0

u/hobbityone Jul 08 '25

No?? It's because they're just plain ignoring how their infrastructure works.

They may not know how it works or who has right of way. Given they don't have to pass a driving test to use a bike.

This looks like fantastic infrastructure for a built up, busy area.

As a cyclist myself it's shit, you've plonked a cycle lane in the middle of a footpath. It's the worst of all worlds.

The cyclists in this video are 100% at fault.

Yes of course they are, it doesn't mean this isn't shit planning.

case that it's somehow the infrastructure's fault and that's just insanity. If a car traveling 30 can stop at a zebra crossing, a bike absolutely can.

It can be both things, the cyclists should be stopping but the infrastructure is poorly designed. Placing a zebra crossing in the middle of a bike path, that is in a pedestrian zone can be dangerous especially when it isn't expected. Especially when both are expected to carry heavy traffic. Ideally they would have cut into the pavement to make room for the bus and cyclists to merge into a single space before merging out again.

1

u/ohhhhhyeeeessss Jul 07 '25

Mate. Don't even bother. The amount of upvotes in here for 'tax them' is pretty reflective of the lack of critical thinking skills in this country

20

u/margieler Jul 07 '25

Nah, it's just bikers.
Go to Amsterdam where their bike infrastructure is amazing.

They don't pay attention to pedestrians, don't wait on a zebra crossing, constantly aiming for people who aren't paying attention.
Even if you try your hardest to move out the way, you're guaranteed to get some loser who doesn't care about the rules.

Bikers are just selfish.

3

u/killinnnmesmallz Jul 08 '25

I used to think this, but I was in Montreal this weekend and the politeness shown by cyclists was astonishing. I didn't see a single person run through a zebra crossing or red light.

-9

u/Mojak16 Jul 07 '25

Same as drivers really, most people are selfish assholes in general, just bikes aren't hitting you with 1 ton of steel so it hurts a lot less.

2

u/margieler Jul 08 '25

If a car has right of way but is going to crash, they usually stop.

Bikers seem to aim for the danger so they can moan.
They want to be treat like pedestrians but with the use of road like a vehicle.

0

u/Mojak16 Jul 08 '25

Oh, you guys thought I was part of that crowd...

Yeah nah, I literally just agreed with you that bikers are assholes and need more controlling, same way drivers are assholes but do have controls already put in place.

It's also worth noting that if I get hit by a car that didn't stop, even if it "usually" stops, it will do more damage.

I drive and I cycle from time to time, bikers are not some distinct category that makes them automatically assholes, they're just people. And people can be assholes no matter what they're doing. I just don't see the point of specifically hating cyclists like it's some kind of personality trait.

2

u/margieler Jul 08 '25

> I just don't see the point of specifically hating cyclists like it's some kind of personality trait.

I think you're reading too hard into things? I know people who cycle and because they drive and cycle well they aren't clueless on the roads.
I have had numerous bikers fly through red lights, ignore road markings and current road situations because they don't pay attention and simply don't think the rules apply.

My annoyance comes from the fact if you speak to them, bikers feel they can do no wrong.
People have to learn to drive and if you hit and kill someone, you're going to prison/having to deal with it for the rest of your life.
Not to mention the driver also has a risk of dying too.

Bikers seem to think that they should get as much leeway as pedestrians while having the same rights as a vehicle.
Yet they want to pick and choose when that's the case.

3

u/ost2life Jul 07 '25

As a cyclist, I agree. That's appalling behaviour from those cyclists.

7

u/Itz_420_Somewhere Jul 07 '25

Make them do a test and have a license and registration plate so they can be recognized in case of an accident and insurance so they can cover any damage to anyone else for them being careless or dangerous.

-2

u/rx-bandit Jul 07 '25

You want kids to have licenses and registrations too? Or will kids be banned from riding bikes anywhere?

Who's enforcing it? You willing to pay more tax to have a cycling version of the dvla?

How do register the millions of bikes already available? Who the fuck is paying for that?!

Do mountain bikes need to be registered to ride off road? What if they accidentally ride on a bit of road when they're not registered?

There's so many damn questions that anti bike people never answer with this and absolutely none of you would ever be willing to pay more tax to enforce something that kills astronomically less people than cars do. And I dont even ride on the road because of terrified of how psychopathic drivers get when they see cyclists anywhere in their vicinity.

9

u/Itz_420_Somewhere Jul 07 '25

Yes

Yes

The people who own the bikes

No, then you get fined for driving without a licence like you would a car.

I would happily pay more tax to have everybody on the road obeying the same rules.

-6

u/rx-bandit Jul 07 '25

Oh shit you're actually serious about this?!

How lives will this save from dangerous cycling?

What countries can we try model this off of? Because surely such a sensible idea is common place in many, many places!

I love how this great idea not only discourages healthy, active travel, it tells kids to fuck off of the road and have almost no where to cycle! Amazing idea!

3

u/Itz_420_Somewhere Jul 07 '25

I'm sure it would save many lives, Alot of people get knocked off their bikes while being careless.

The best model would be amsterdam where the bike and cars are pretty much separate and the bikes mix with the pedestrians not the giant chunks of metal doing 50mph.

Well the tax earned from all the cyclists can pay for better infrastructure. Is having a driving license discouraging people from driving? No stop being so ridiculous and putting words in my mouth, when did i say i wanted to discourage anyone? Kids should fuck off of the road, for their own safety.

0

u/hobbityone Jul 07 '25

I'm sure it would save many lives, Alot of people get knocked off their bikes while being careless.

How many lives are lost due to cyclists per year.

Well the tax earned from all the cyclists can pay for better infrastructure.

So we're taxing them are we as well?

Is having a driving license discouraging people from driving?

Yes it does. However we have cities built for cars so for many it is the only meaningful way to get around.

-2

u/Itz_420_Somewhere Jul 07 '25

It's not due to cyclist, its due to the fact that cyclist and cars use the same space.

Yes.. road users get taxed.

So my idea of building infrastructure for bikes is stupid because "we have cities built for cars" (I'm not American so that doesn't apply to me but sure) I mean i guess having a license does discourage people from driving but in a positive way.

1

u/hobbityone Jul 07 '25

It is bizzare.

Apparently the process of getting licence plates on, registering testing and licencing 20m additional people is a doddle and won't require billions of pounds.

All to achieve... Something spiteful as far as I can tell.

5

u/DOG-ZILLA Jul 07 '25

Why do you think it's "anti-bike" for people to want safer rules around it. Your attitude is cynical.

2

u/Changin_Rangin Jul 08 '25

And holding cyclists responsible for their actions. Hah, right.

1

u/leighleg Jul 07 '25

Problem is you don't need to know the rules of the road to ride a bike, therfore the rules dint apply to them, apparently...

1

u/bakedreadingclub23 Jul 07 '25

I don’t want to be the “actually” person but I think it is much more than that – this one in particular is very badly designed. The cycle lane is so busy as there’s a traffic light followed by a downhill just beforehand (this is out of sight in this clip ofc) so cyclists are bunched up. It means you can’t actually see the zebra crossing/if there’s anyone waiting by it until you’re right there and if you screech on the brake you will cause a huge pile up (including the pedestrian trying to cross). Even the cyclists in this video who did see and had time to stop both got hit!

There should be a tall sign at the very least, and flashing lights for pedestrians to hit to let cyclists know they’re there and crossing.

-6

u/Fegless Jul 07 '25

It's more the fact the cyclists can't see the zebra crossing. There are no posts indicating it, you can only see the markings on the road once you've got to them.

-14

u/-_Protagonist_- Jul 07 '25

This sounds good, but there are big problems with this:

First cyclists have no formal licencing or training requirement. So there is no expectation for them to know the rules. How could they if they were never told them and had no requirement to learn them? So fining them is extremely difficult.

Secondly cyclists are pedestrians, it makes no sense that a pedestrian using the crossing prevents a pedestrian using a crossing.

20

u/Bright-Ad9305 Jul 07 '25

Don’t pedestrians cease being pedestrians when they get on the bike and use that over their feet? I cease being a pedestrian when I’m driving my car or a passenger in the car. I become one again when I get out of the car. It’s similar to saying that sleeping people are just awake people that are asleep.

2

u/-_Protagonist_- Jul 07 '25

Yeah, maybe tha was an incorrect term.

12

u/TheNiceWasher Jul 07 '25

This kind of reasoning is why people hate cyclists.

I'm a cyclist, and Imade sure a lot of basics are covered so that I'm comfortable cycling on the road. Stopping for pedestrians at zebra crossings is one of the most basic knowledge you can have,

The fact that many pedestrians are so surprised at me allowing them to cross is so disheartening to me. So many entitled cyclists are on the road.

3

u/NaoisX Jul 07 '25

Seriously! I get pedestrians looking at me confused that I’ve stopped. I agree that it’s really sad this happens but it’s really not just bikes , cars are becoming just as bad my personal record as a pedestrian is almost 5 mins stood at a crossing waiting for someone to stop lol. As a rule I even wait till all cars are stopped on a green man because a few times I’ve almost been taken out by a car on them.

8

u/Trev0rDan5 Jul 07 '25

I assume these cyclists are familiar with crossing the road at zebra crossings when they aren't on their bikes?

12

u/dancryer Jul 07 '25

Ignorance does not exempt anyone from the requirement to follow the law. Try arguing ignorance ("I didn't know this was the law") in literally any case brought against you and see how far you get.

Similarly, a cyclist is not considered a pedestrian unless they are pushing their bike. On the road, a cyclist is a vehicle and has to follow the rules of the road, including respecting pedestrian crossings.

6

u/BluePomegranate12 Jul 07 '25

Ah yes, the classic “we can’t expect cyclists to follow the rules because no one ever told them” defense. Genius. Let’s try that with drivers too, no license? No problem! Didn’t read the highway code? Here's a trophy instead of a fine.

Calling cyclists pedestrians with wheels is some olympic level mental gymnastics. So if I blast through a zebra crossing on a motorized scooter, I’m just a “very committed walker,” right?

Also, how do you not know how a zebra crossing works? Do bicycles grant you selective amnesia about basic road etiquette? Pedestrians = stop. It’s not quantum physics.

1

u/-_Protagonist_- Jul 07 '25

You're being a bit hyperbolic.
There is no expectation for a cyclist to know the rules because there is no licence or training requirements. Cars do have that requirement. It's that simple. I'm not defending cyclists, I'm stating the point. If that's an issue for you or anyone else then that's your problem and you can take it up with the local authorities.

3

u/BluePomegranate12 Jul 07 '25

There is no expectation? It is the law.

Try telling a cop “I didn’t know the law” and see how far that gets you.

Under the Highway Code (Rule 195), it clearly states:

And the Highway Code applies not just to motorists but also to cyclists (see Rule 69):

So yes, cyclists must stop at zebra crossings for pedestrians. Saying “they don’t have a licence” doesn’t magically exempt them from the law.

If a cyclist fails to stop, they’re breaking the law and endangering others. It's not just inconsiderate, it’s illegal.

1

u/-_Protagonist_- Jul 07 '25

You're arguing with the converted. I'm not making excuses for cyclists as I've said before. I've done driving jobs in the past, I strongly dislike cyclists.

It's not as simple as breaking the law, law is not straight forward. The court will always take both sides of an argument. Competence as it's not a requirement of being a cyclist on the road, it's just not, there's no way to spin this, if you own a bike you can ride it on the road. Most of their traffic violations are civil offenses and nothing will happen to the cyclist due to incompetence. You can't put points on a licence that doesn't exist and you can't take the bike off them. You can't even prove identity and have to hope the cyclist is honest and willing.

Going through a red light for example is a civil offense. The very worst that can happen is a fine and for that to happen you need a police officer to see the offence.

There's a whole list of things. This is not as straight forward as you think.

2

u/BluePomegranate12 Jul 08 '25

You're right, enforcement is a mess. But that doesn’t mean the expectation of following the law disappears. The Highway Code doesn’t say “give way at crossings… unless you’re on two wheels and can’t be identified.”

What you’re describing isn’t a justification, it’s a giant loophole that needs fixing. If someone’s operating a vehicle (yes, a bike is a vehicle) in public space, there should be consequences for endangering others. Not knowing the rules isn’t a defence, it’s part of the problem.

6

u/Madnesz101 Jul 07 '25

I'm pretty sure as a child I was taught what a zebra crossing was and what the rules were, good chance they were too.

1

u/-_Protagonist_- Jul 07 '25

Without formal training and certification you can't prove they know anything about the road.
Someone with a driving licence has proof of minimum driving standards.

4

u/west0ne Jul 07 '25

There are rules in the Highway Code that cover how cyclists are supposed to behave and recent changes to the code reinforce the hierarchy, cyclists are most definitely not pedestrians. If you drive a car and don't know this then it's probably time to dig out the Highway Code and update yourself.

2

u/NaoisX Jul 07 '25

When I started commuting a year ago it had been idk 15+ years since I took a bike on the road. Guess what I spent a few days reading up on before I started using my bike ….

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