British Waterways at last recognises the speeding cyclists problem on the towpaths

SINCE many canal towpaths have been upgraded to cycle tracks, there have been many problems with speeding cyclists, usually on their way to and from work.

Those in the large towns and cities are particularly vulnerable, as many boaters will affirm.

But it is not normally boaters who suffer, though many have had cause to complain, but pedestrians, and particularly those with pushchairs and/or small children.

Since the towpath of the Regent's Canal in London was upgraded to allow cyclists easy passage, there have been accidents and complaints galore about speeding cyclists using the towpath as a quick and easy way to get to and from work.

Demonstration by concerned parents

There have even been mass demonstrations by parents with their children in an attempt to stop the problem, with British Waterways responding with notices and ''rumble strips', which have had little effect.

First towpath ranger

But now, in an all-out attempt to minimise the problem, British Waterways have employed London’s first towpath ranger, to help combat the conflict occurring on the towpath between speeding cyclists and pedestrians.

Joseph ready for action

The new ranger, Joseph Young, will be on-hand to remind all waterway towpath users about the towpath code of conduct by promoting the two-tings campaign—two rings on a bell by cyclists approaching walkers—and encourage more understanding between the two groups as they travel along the traffic-free towpaths of central London.

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Encouraged cycling

Recent rises in fuel prices and traffic congestion in the city have encouraged many commuters to cycle to work along the towpaths. The credit-crunch too has had an effect, forcing budget conscious Londoner’s to ditch their gym membership in favour of free keep-fit activities, such as running and power walking. These factors have all contributed to an increase in the number of people using the city's towpaths.

The problem is particularly bad in Islington

Unfortunately a minority of these users don’t appreciate that the towpath is a shared resource. Since January 2008 alone, more than ten incidents involving cyclists crashing into pedestrians at speed have been reported to British Waterways, prompting the move to employ the new ranger.

Share towpath amicably

Joseph, himself an avid cyclist and volunteer Sustrans ranger, is keen to encourage cyclists and pedestrians to share the towpath amicably, explaining:

“As a cyclist myself, I’m all too aware that sometimes I just want to get to my destination quickly, but the narrow towpaths, designed for a completely different use over 200 years ago, aren’t really the place to travel at top speeds. They are great for getting to and from work, but at a gentle pace.

"A minority of cyclists are using the towpath purely as a commuter route to get as fast as they can to work. They are the ones I want to target."

Conflict does occur

And whilst most towpath encounters between pedestrians and cyclists involve a polite exchange of tinging bicycle bells and stepping to one side, when conflict does occur, and tinging turns to tutting and stepping aside switches to swearing.

Joseph’s background in mediation between feuding neighbours as part of his previous role at a housing trust, it is hoped, will come in handy, as a third party to remind people about the code of conduct and to encourage people to think about how their actions may affect others to get them to change their behaviour.