Updated: One-way cyclist exemptions made easier for councils

I've heard that it doesn't really cause safety issues (this from Cycling England where contraflow cycling has been introduced in cycle demonstration towns). Most drivers do actually look forwards through their windscreens as they drive, so on narrow side streets with little traffic they notice cyclists coming towards them.

It's widespread in Belgium, as the article intimates.

It just works there - it made getting around Brugge much easier.

I have my doubts about it here, because not many drivers keep their knowledge of traffic law up to date, and not many observe what's around them. Still, we can hope for the best, I suppose.

Great news! Specially if Central LDN councils can put this to good use.

And while we're on earphone-zombie pedastrians, I'll like to add the danger or similarly earphone-zombie cyclists as well. I'm scared of them more, given they're already on the road / bikepath

The few contra flow ones I have used (Leicester) have been separated from the main highway by kerbs etc, so the traffic danger has been removed, but this just encourages pedestrians to walk along them and not look where they're going.

SO if there are no kerbs, the peds will probably stay on the pavement, but the drivers need to be educated to stay out of the bike lane, including not parking on it.

The other problem I have found is peds only look in the direction of the main traffic flow before stepping out, and thus directly into my path.

Excellent, although I have to admit I don't tend to hit too many one way systems I know of places this would really cut down on the headache.

Shrewsbury's town centre is dominated by a one way system and the level of traffic certainly makes it less enjoyable than it ought to be walking and cycling from A to B.

Shropshire council currently has a public consultation on some suggested contra-flow cycle lanes. I anticipate some may be more useful or logical than others.

I'm cautious about contra-flow but will wait and see what it's like (I've not used them before).

Rumour is that this didn't happen until someone senior in the DfT who had opposed "Except cycles" plates for years retired.

Credit is due to Daniel Moylan, deputy leader of Kensington council, who spent five years battling with DfT to get the first cyclist exemption sign in his borough - on a temporary basis.

Now they're poised to pop up everywhere. A welcome outbreak of common sense.

watched this overweight "motoring journalist" having a pop at cyclists for going the wrong way down one way systems, on the beeb this morning, all of course very london centric stuff, perhaps this will help?

Hurrah!