Cyclist 'nearly decapitated' by pallet-spilling driver; Barriers removed on bike lane... because drivers kept crashing into them; Study coming on Kensington cycle lane; G launches cycling club; Derbyshire cops 'road tax' gaffe + more on the live blog

Clueless. @DerbysPolice pic.twitter.com/B9ZizHWtXZ

— Pompey Cyclist (@PompeyCyclist) December 23, 2020

The problem arose when Pompey Cyclist asked the force to edit a section on their website that says the public can 'report a vehicle that doesn't have road tax'. They replied: "Good afternoon, Road Tax is still valid, even when cars have nil charge they are still required to apply for it." 

And these are the folks keeping us pedestrians and cyclists safe*

Very worrying.

*I believe it's blind luck that more pedestrians and cyclists aren't killed in my area

— Neil E (@Neil_Elkins) December 23, 2020

Hi @DerbysPolice, I'll just leave this herehttps://t.co/xR18divQTu

— Brian Shannon (@BrianShannon123) December 23, 2020

Some weren't very pleased with the reply - but we understand that Derbyshire Police are now going to rectify the error. 

Boston decided to remove the concrete barriers protecting a bike lane because too many drivers were hitting the concrete barriers 🤷🏼‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/p6O640fejF

— wanye (@_wayneburkett) December 22, 2020

If you thought the reasons given for removing the some London cycle routes were bad, Boston in the US has gone one better by taking away protective cycle lane barriers because some drivers were apparently drifted towards and hitting them. 

The Boston Globe reports that the cycle lane, on a stretch of Massachusetts Avenue, had concrete slab barriers installed in November following the death of a cyclist who was killed by a tractor-trailer driver; however the barriers had led to a rise in car crashes according to the Boston Transportation Department. 

While many on social media expressed anger and bemusement at the decision, Becca Wolfson, executive director of the Boston Cyclists Union, commented: “We can’t focus on individual behaviour. It doesn’t mean it’s allowable behaviour, but it means the system has to change in a way that stops that behaviour."

Wolfson suggested that instead of the low-lying barriers, they should be quickly replaced with a "vertical element such as flex posts to better capture drivers' attention"... pretty much exactly like the wands ripped up on Kensington High Street earlier this month... 

Royal Parks Police tweeted that 60-year-old Stephen Diaz was yesterday found guilty of common assault against two cyclists in London's Richmond Park back in April. His received a conditional discharge and £600 costs at Wimbledon Magistrates Court yesterday, and numerous people have now expressed disappointment and anger at the sentence. 

Wow. What a joke of a sentence.

— Nadine (@nadine_ansorg) December 22, 2020

Why was he given a conditional discharge? What extenuating circumstances could possibly justify that for an assault?

— Andrew Buss (@ambuss) December 22, 2020

Royal Parks Police explained why the trial was delayed but refused to comment on the sentence, adding: "The delay in the trial at court was due to the backlog at the courts because of COVID. The incident was as a result of a confrontation between two cyclists and two pedestrians on the road going from Sheen Cross to The Royal Ballet School.

"It would not be appropriate that we pass comment on the sentence handed down, it is a decision for the courts."

For the last 2 weeks, I’ve been using Google’s AI platform to monitor what % of time the space, previously occupied by a cycle lane carrying thousands of people per day, is blocked by parked vehicles.

Who wants to guess what % of time it’s blocked? Results in the media soon. pic.twitter.com/dTzt646dUT

— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) December 23, 2020

Adam Tranter says he has used Google’s AI platform "to monitor what % of time the space, previously occupied by a cycle lane carrying thousands of people per day, is blocked by parked vehicles" on the former segregated cycle route on Kensington High Street. He has invited his Twitter followers to guess the percentage, with guesses ranging from 66% (Jeremy Vine's bet) through to 95%. 

The sad sight of this well-used former segregated cycle lane being blocked by vehicles for large portions of the day has become the subject of a tongue-in-cheek Twitter account, originally called 'Is the white BMW in the RBKC cycle lane still there?', but now named in tribute to a white van that regularly blocks the route instead. The account admin says they are "looking forward" to the results of the study, and is still posting daily updates.  

And just like that, it was gone

Replaced instead, by an example of how parked vehicles cause congestion. pic.twitter.com/dhlIUzRdBc

— Is the van in the RBKC cycle lane still there? (@KensingtonVan) December 22, 2020

If in doubt, park in the bike lane.

South West City Way, Scotland Street this afternoon.#Glasgow pic.twitter.com/LXnP340YS9

— Glasgow Deliveroo Rider (@RiderGlasgow) December 22, 2020

Another day, another blocked bike lane... and another reason to link to this feature.