Hundreds fined as police clamp down on anti-social cycling Manchester

Police have slapped 400 cyclists with fines in just 10 days as part of a crackdown on 'dangerous and irresponsible' biking.

The £30 penalty notices were handed out along Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road for offences such as running red lights, not having lights fitted, cycling on footpaths and using mobile phones whilst cycling.

Cyclists were also fined for dangerously weaving in and out of traffic.

It was part of Greater Manchester Police’s ‘Operation Grimaldi’ – with the Oxford Road corridor identified as a dangerous cycling hotspot on 10 ‘days of action’ between February and June this year.

Cyclists were given the chance to escape the fines by attending cycling awareness events at Moss Side and Withington fire stations.

Around 340 of the cyclists handed the fines took up the offer.

GMP say the operation was aimed at educating cyclists about keeping safe on the road.

PCSO Gareth Walker said: “Many of the cyclists we spoke to were not aware of the danger they put themselves and others in by the actions they were taking while failing to stop or being distracted on their phones.

“The number of killed or seriously injured on the roads has fallen over the last two years but we need to continue to educate road users of how to share the roads safely in order to ensure these numbers continue to fall.”

But a cycling campaigner said the operation was ‘one-sided’ – urged police to concentrate on motorists instead.

Pete Abel, from the Love Your Bike campaign, said: “We are in favour of taking action against people who cycle poorly and anti-socially, but we don’t see an equivalent crackdown on drivers.

“When cyclists runs a red light it is usually inconvenient, when a driver does it is downright dangerous.”

Every adult in Greater Manchester is entitled to six hours free cycle training and education about cycle safety. For more information go to www.tfgm.com/cycling.

So reading the article 80% handed there £30 pound fines back so no revenue generation there. I wonder if 400 car drivers ran red lights the cycling fraternity would be nuclear. In my opinion trying to educate all road users to share the road should be commended. Motorists that commit offences such as speeding their courses are around 90 pounds. Look likes cyclists get a good deal so stop whining. It also links a page to adult cycling training looks like they are trying to reduce serious incidents with cyclists. Who ever posted the web news has this wrong and is trying to get a biased opinion. Everyone wants to get home safe at the end of the day

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/poli...

I'd say using your phone while cycling is even more stupid than jumping a red light.

They said that "Dangerous riding of cycles can cause fatalities for both riders and pedestrians".

I asked how many people had been killed by cyclists in the past year - No response.

Tweeted GMPlod earlier asking,
'Is there a similar operation for motorists?
Do you run 'Cyclist awareness' sessions for drivers?'
To be fair they did respond,
'the cyclist awareness sessions are more lenient than what a motorist would receive for say dangerous driving'.

Arf!

Riding and talking on a mobile could fall into riding without due care and attention (Sect 3 Road Traffic Act)but even if it doesn't surely riding one handed with the other against your ear isn't exactly sensible. There are plenty of cyclists who give most of us a bad name by riding on the pavement, RLJing etc. just because it saves a few seconds and they think they're entitled to do so.

As the article says most could avoid the fine by going on an awareness course, which yes would cost some money but is exactly the same concept as the speed/mobile/seatbelt awareness courses motorists are offered.

Drunk in charge of a pedal cycle is an offence btw

Interesting... I remember seeing a bunch of coppers flagging down a cyclist who had jumped a pelican crossing red outside the uni on Oxford Road a couple of months ago (I had stopped for it ). There did seem to be a lot of them and I wondered if something like this was going on.

To be fair, I see cyclists jumping lights on this stretch all the time, and more jump them than stop I'm sorry to say. Only very very rarely is it genuinely safer to jump than not, and most who do it, if they're honest, do it because they can't be bothered waiting and know they'll get away with it.

As to the other offences, I should say:

a) sometimes it is genuinely safer to hop briefly onto the pavement (and more than any other issue pavement riding highlights the need for better cycle facilities), but you are putting pedestrians at risk - and they are the vulnerable party in this case.
b) riding without lights at night is plainly stupid; dangerous to the rider and to other road users. It's certainly fine-worthy.
c) as pointed out above, talking on the phone while cycling isn't actually illegal (nor, I believe, is drinking and cycling) so it's hard to see the premise for handing out fixed penalties. Victims of this should firstly challenge the fine, and secondly take a long, hard look at themselves
d) It's not clear that fines were handed out for 'weaving dangerously', but that's a very woolly definition and one person's weaving is another's basic survival technique

While I'm happy to see the RLJers being taken to task (though it's clearly had zero impact if my daily commute is anything to go by) I'm surprised that GMP see this as a priority. Perhaps they'll start handing out fines to the pedestrians who walk in cycle lanes next?

A crackdown on the insane Curry Mile driving would have been more welcome and a greater boon to public safety.

And dont get me started on how many bike thefts we have in Manchester.......

I'm not ranting. I'm giving you my opinion, in which I think yes its Ok to fine people for using a mobile while riding, as I believe its riding without due care and attention, if the that's not a law then it should be. Unlike you I'm not an expert on cycling & British law, I do know how to ride a bike though and riding while chatting on a mobile makes anyone doing it a Twat.

You're just ranting, still haven't answered the question.

extra cool points for doing a track stand while that chat with you

it wouldn't take many officers in a couple of locations around many cities to crack down on the bloody car drivers too ... on the spot fines for those arrogant ejits as
well please ... oh that's right they're not such an easy target are they .... bastards ....

Good - hope they do the same in Bristol.

Too many cyclists seem to think the law doesn't apply to them and ride like inconsiderate idiots as they don't expect reprecussions. They irritate and endager other road users, who then tar anyone on a bike with the 'bloody cyclists' label, and think nothing of driving too close to us, cutting us up etc as 'all cyclists break the laws, so why should I care about them'

(they should also be nailing drivers who drive poorly, RLJ and encroach on Advanced Stop Boxes as well)

This really makes my piss boil. This stupid "cyclists don't even realise they're being dangerous" nonsense. Cars kill about 2000 every year, can't be bothered looking up the figure, no doubt someone will correct me. Cyclists kill between none and three per year and car drivers are foound to be wholly responsible in about 80% of fatalities and serious injuries. And yet plod are trying to tell us they WE are the dangerous ones! Aaaarrrrrrgghhhhhhhh

Using a mobile phone whilst riding isn't even illegal, are they making up laws?

“When cyclists runs a red light it is usually inconvenient, when a driver does it is downright dangerous.”

This kind of nonsense doesn't do cycling any favours.

It is usually inconvenient and always dangerous, regardless of vehicle. End of. Implying it's not dangerous when cyclists do it is ridiculous and out of touch.

And what is the cyclist saying to the officer?
Yes, my name Michael Mouse, 69, Disneyland Terrace, Fixieville, FU1 1TT

Is this some sort of joke?
"segregated cycle lanes along parts of Oxford Road as part of its Bus Priority scheme"
Does this mean you will get run over by a bus, taxi or a dick ignoring the signs instead of another type of vehicle?