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news
Cycle in Orkney (Twitter/Graham Wilson)Councillor urges police to charge "tourist cyclists" coming on cruise liners and "running around unsafe”
A councillor in Orkney has raised concerns about tourist cyclists coming to the island on cruise ships and urged the police to start charging them as part of an operation originally meant to tackle "anti-social driving", with the chair of the meeting confirming that measures will be put in place from next year to deal with the rider and ease the tension with the locals.
The agenda was raised by councillor Mellissa Thomson at the council's Police and Fire Sub-committee, while discussing Police Scotland's Fair Warn campaign.
The Fair Warn campaign was introduced in Orkney earlier this year to deal with anti-social and inconsiderate driving and parking behaviour. The officers have sent 47 letters to offending motorists in the last four months since the operation began.
However, Councillor Thomson asked local Chief Inspector Scott Robertson: "I am particularly interested in your Fair Warn campaign. I hadn’t understood much about it before but I’m getting it now. Is this just about vehicles or are we heading into motorbikes and push bikes?"
She added: "You probably know where I’m heading with this."
A chuckling Robertson told the councillor that it applied to motor vehicles and motorbikes, but not cycles.
Councillor Thomson then questioned: "So there’s no way you’ll be writing to people who are on push bikes who are running around unsafe at the moment and coming off cruises?"
Inspector Robertson replied: "You will be aware that myself and the chair and others have had some really good discussions with regard to the cruise ships and the cyclists coming off them.
"I don’t want to preempt it but we hope to have something in place for the next season."
MV Hrossey (image by Ronnie Robertson on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
The committee's chair Councillor David Dawson added that it was too late to get something in place for this year. He said it wouldn’t be effective as there are only a few more visits planned from ships carrying push-bikes, but assured Thomson that they will have "something for next season".
> Just how good is Mallorca for cycling?
At which point, Councillor Sandy Cowie also chimed in, saying: "The laws around cycling seem to be fairly weak.
"I discovered the other day that you can’t actually break the speed limit on a bicycle regardless of how fast you go. Speed limits, apparently, don’t apply. But you can be charged with furious cycling. I think that’s the term."
Inspector Robertson told him that he wasn't sure if he had ever heard the term "furious cycling" but they could charge people with careless and dangerous cycling in Scotland.
> Do cyclists have to stick to the speed limit?
The Press and Journal reports that there has been friction between Orcadians and liner passengers who take to the roads in large cycle groups during this summer, with the "behaviour of some cyclists and the hazards these large groups can pose to motorists" being a point of contention.
Every year, hundreds of people visit the island archipelago located off the north eastern coast of Scotland. In 2023, over 200 ships are expected as part of the cruise liner season. Even more are expected next year, with 253 advanced bookings already made.
Adwitiya joined road.cc in 2023 as a news writer after graduating with a masters in journalism from Cardiff University. His dissertation focused on active travel, which soon threw him into the deep end of covering everything related to the two-wheeled tool, and now cycling is as big a part of his life as guitars and football. He has previously covered local and national politics for Voice Wales, and also likes to writes about science, tech and the environment, if he can find the time. Living right next to the Taff trail in the Welsh capital, you can find him trying to tackle the brutal climbs in the valleys.
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I signed up just to comment on this post, yes they do!
I live in Shetland and this is a common occourance that is being dealt with more diplomatically than this councillor in orkney, but yes, I'm not sure if they bring them on their ships or whether they charter them from a company south who trucks them in I'm not sure, but they aren't local bikes and they're all identical.
Shetland is a very cycle friendly place where able, but these big cruise companies do cause issues with the way they release cyclists who aren't used to driving in the UK, let alone a weird place like the islands. Honestly all it will take is a little communication between the liners and the local police and it would all be sorted.
Well well, every day is a school day.
I see a bit of the same thing with middle-aged and older people who've discovered ebikes while never having been regular cyclists. They can have a fairly relaxed attitude to use of pavements, red lights and so on, probably because that's how they handle the primal fear of being a cyclist on UK roads.
Is this a sensible post on the matter? You'll be spoiling our "histrionical word-jousting" mode, naughty person! Folk may url-off elsewhere for more exciting exchanges, after they read your post and calm down.
The German Aida cruise ships and the Mein Schiff cruise ships carry their own bike's onboard for running tours in the local area as they berth in my local town in the Highlands and cause the same issues here. The photo that Road.cc have posted is of the lifeline Northlink ferry that sails between Aberdeen and Lerwick.
Two questions are raised here. Firstly, when the Police are urged to 'charge' tourists on bikes (not in quote marks in the headline) do they mean charge a fee, or charge with a criminal Road traffic offence? I can see the Police being even less interested in the former as they are the latter.
Secondly, I assume that the whole point of the 'Fair Warn' campaign is to allow people to commit driving offences with no fear of prosecution, just fear of a kindly letter dropping on the mat. If drivers arent being'charged' then why would cyclists?
Is she another white settler who wants Orkney to remain in the 19th century ? Having looked at her profile on Orkney council she doesn't look like someone who couls even walk the length of themselves, never mind ride a bike
There's definitely quite a bit of activity on Orkney on the Strava heat map. There are even Strava segments on the island with thousands of attempts.
I plan to do a LEJOG next year, now I'm also considering popping over to Orkney after. There's a 40 minute ferry ride from John O'Groats and bikes are free. The John O'Groats Ferry's website even has a nice "cycling in Orkney" link which goes to this PDF.
You have to do Shetland after that.
Otherwise haven't really 'done' it.
Is it telling that Road CC and STV websites can only illustrate this story wth pictures of completely empty roads stretching into the distance?
Off the main A965, yes it's often like that.
Though I'm fairly sure the banner pic here isn't Orkney - I don't recognise it at all, and there's a lot of trees - more likely the A9?
Some facebook.com/OrkneyCC posts to tempt you in....
Summer solstice ride
Three Braes challenge
I had to check the date, and no it's not April 1st.
I'm pretty certain there is a much bigger issue with the number of coaches that will be getting used to move all the "cruisers" around the islands, but perhaps they cna be fleeced of thier cash quicker and in more places than those that choose to see the islands by bike.
and I would loove to know what "the hazards" are these "large groups can pose to motorists"
I believe that they think that if a motorist gets frustrated that they can't overtake a cyclist they are likely to do something dangerous, which is obviously the cyclist's fault.
Being resident in Guernsey, and having visited Orkney, the roads up there are like an LA Freeway compared to what we have
Yes - coaches can be a problem, mostly for the cyclists. When a cruise coach party gets stuck behind a cruise bike tour party, then it's.... bad.
Coach parties are actually the worst for spending. They are huddled in their bubble from ship to venue and don't spend time in local shops or cafes. There's only Skara Brae, Maes Howe and the Italian Chapel venues that charge admission.
Yes, the coach operator, driver and possibly a local guide will get paid, so at least a couple of people can earn something out of the visitors.
I didn't know that cycling around Orkney was a thing, will have to look into that
ohh - you think this is all a ploy to encourage more tourists to Orkney?
No, but there might be a Streisand effect
https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/orkney-blog/orkney-cycle-routes/
It sounds like a great idea. I keep seeing TV chefs praising the amazing sea food. This article has given me an idea to book a trip next summer with the cycling clan. Enough for a sprinter van load. With bikes. We've been looking at a few places but I do believe this is it!
Thank you, Councillor. You will learn about loss!
Don't forget to wait until Councillor Thompson is behind you then ride 2x2 really slowly so she can't get past!!
There was a curry house in Kirkwall proudly displaying an endorsement from Gordon Ramsay, scrawled on a napkin, in the window. The "f" word was present of course.
Well. It's a unanimous verdict here, so, plans are afoot!
The shellfish is supposed to be superior.
I'd love to go at some point. FWIW the notional cycle network reaches there.
Given the climatic conditions I reckon it's a place where a heavier bike would be an advantage (except for on Hoy). Possibly the lowest possible recumbent trike?
Great! Bring warm gear, windproof gear and waterproof gear!
Oh, and sunscreen, because when the sun does come out, and bounces off the sea, it's proper glorious.
"Give us your money but don't dare to cause any inconvenience at all" is the best translation I can come up with.
Same attitude in Cornwall. I get the impression there that they would rather tourists stayed at home and just posted money to the county.
Who wouldn't like their customers to stay at home and just post them money!
I guess Cornwall might have too much of "a good thing" - of course some people will be coining it in but for many locals it's probably more about being priced out of the housing market.
I've never had an issue with dangerous close passes etc when cycling in Cornwall by anyone with a locally registered car, mostly wankpanzers with private or London plates. And everyone in the shops - apart from the places with far too many tourists with bad or impatient attitudes continuously pi55ing the staff off - has been friendly, helpful and considerate. Your sweeping generalisation is untrue and unhelpful. You must only have had dealings with emmits and DFLs
There's "heated debate" going on about it. Many very much welcome the cruise ships. They generated nearly £3m in port revenues alone last year, and obviously passengers spend their money here too.
The contention really centres around the volume of passengers. Kirkwall (the main cruise harbour) has a population of around 9000. However, there have been days where two ships, each with a capacity of 5000 passengers, PLUS crew, have been docked, and yes, on those days, tourists are a problem. We joke about getting our feet wet as Kirkwall sinks back into the sea under their weight.
For safety reasons, the council closes certain roads in Kirkwall on such days. This impacts local business who can't get stock in and out of their premises. To my mind, that means there's too many people. It's a demonstrable negative impact on the people who live and work here.
There is a plan to start limiting the number of ships based on passenger capacity, but there's already 250+ ships booked in for 2024, so it will be 2025 before that kicks in.
What?! Next you'll be telling me I can't drive down Broad Street on Christmas Day or New Year's Day! 🤣
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