Press watchdog the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) has dismissed complaints about misleading photographs of cyclists during the coronavirus lockdown.
Images were published in the Mail Online and the Mirror that appeared to show groups of cyclists huddled closely together in London’s Regent’s Park.
The newspapers suggested cyclists were flouting strict social distancing rules, but the photos were taken with a long lens that foreshortens the shot and gives a false impression of proximity.
The Times then did the same with photos of cyclists on Box Hill.
Excellent use of a telephoto lens by @thetimes, misleading image and reporting.
How about a photo of the 6 superbike riders at the top of the hill in conversation about how they don't care about the rules because they can outrun police?Thx @_D415Y_ for the other perspective pic.twitter.com/ZgznnJrLNT
— Francis Cade (@Francis_Cade) April 6, 2020
Cycling UK lodged a complaint, but IPSO responded to say it wouldn't investigate as the complaint did not fall into an area covered by the editor's code of practice.
A subsequent appeal against that decision was also dismissed.
Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, Duncan Dollimore said: “That left us with no option but to write directly to IPSO’s chief executive to express our frustration that supposedly reputable national newspapers can get away with using misleading, inaccurate and potentially damaging images without fear of censure.
“We’ve seen many more people riding bikes since the lockdown which demonstrates there is a clear appetite for people to cycle more given the right environment of safer roads, less traffic and better infrastructure.
“What we don’t want to see is national newspapers demonising people on bikes and making it wrongly appear as if they are somehow acting above the law.
“It’s clear there’s been a manifest failure by IPSO to even consider the evidence and merits of the complaint made, let alone undertake a proper investigation.”
Last month IPSO also rejected complaints about a Rod Liddle column in The Sunday Times where he wrote that he found it “tempting” to “tie piano wire at neck height across the road” to target cyclists.
The regulator said that the article did not infringe the Editors’ Code of Practice.
After hearing about this one, Cycling UK have looked into it.
Why have Brittany Ferries banned bikes? ⛴️🚴♀️
A number of our members have contacted us about the firm's current policy not to carry cyclists. So Cycling UK’s ferry fan Sam Jones investigated to find out why and see if there are any alternatives: https://t.co/ron7ROlZDjpic.twitter.com/SgB5owB3wz
— Cycling UK (@WeAreCyclingUK) July 7, 2020
Because of the need to adhere to guidelines on social distancing, Brittany Ferries has had to drastically reduce the number of people who can travel at one time.
Boarding and disembarkation procedures have had to be simplified too.
If you follow the link, Cycling UK give you a couple of other options if you’re looking to get to the continent with your bike.
Due to restrictions around Covid-19, the 9th Bike Bath sportive, which was originally scheduled for July 5, is being replaced by the Bike Bath 2020 Medal Rides.
Seventeen routes are available, covering short, medium, long or extra-long distances across Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire – with the option to start at any point on the route.
Riders will receive route details following registration and can navigate via the new Iconic Events App. They will also receive route notes including local highlights and indications of facilities such as rest rooms, shops, and refreshment opportunities for each route.
Event Manager at Iconic Cycling Events, Jacko Jackson, said that while they were disappointed not to be able to deliver Bike Bath this year, they’d really enjoyed looking back at past routes and adapting them for this year’s Medal Rides.
“We have outlined a three-month window for riders to complete their chosen Bike Bath Medal Rides to ensure that multiple groups of riders will not to be out on the roads at the same time, but we do hope the rides can play a significant role in attracting visitors to the region’s fantastic shops, pubs and cafes this summer.
“Riders will be encouraged to tour Bath at their own pace and make small detours to visit local towns such as Devizes, Tetbury, Stroud and Frome and take in historic landmarks. With this in mind, if you run a café, shop or pub that you’d be keen to advertise is open to our community of cyclists, do get in touch.”
Riders will have the option to celebrate their ride by signing up for a 2020 medal or one from the year of the chosen route – allowing many Bike Bath regular riders to complete their collection.
The Medal Rides will run until September 30.
Edinburgh data scientist Benedek Rozemberczki has posted this marvellous video which highlights the huge surge in usage of the city’s Just Eat bikes during the lockdown period.
The Heart Beat of Edinburgh. It has a pretty nice punch line in light of the COVID situation. @RikSarkarNet@JoshuaRyanSaha#DataScience#DataAnalytics#DataVisualization#dataviz#Edinburgh#MachineLearning#Analyticspic.twitter.com/pnOowuuGqS
— Benedek Rozemberczki (@benrozemberczki) July 1, 2020
The bikes have GPS trackers which collect anonymous data about where they’re taken.
The map shows rides taken since the scheme was launched in September 2018.
Last year Panini did a Tour de France sticker album to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the maillot jaune.
Presumably it went well because they’re doing another this year.
Pour patienter jusqu'au 29 août, la collection officielle @Panini_fr est disponible dès aujourd'hui 😍
Coureurs, parcours, villes, cols, points bonus, maillots ... Tout est réuni dans une collection de 384 stickers et 44 cartes pour suivre le #TDF2020
➡️ https://t.co/orHbleR2EOpic.twitter.com/jUZxmNzqNr— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 6, 2020
Back when he played rugby union for England, Brian Moore's nickname was Pitbull.
He has maintained his reputation since he retired.
Some good advice in this thread but the thing that will help the most is losing weight
— Oliver Tobias (@OllyTobias) July 7, 2020
That's the westbound carriageway there, where no cycle lanes have yet been installed. Those roadworks are related to a new pedestrian crossing, not cycling. Here's an ambulance using the new eastbound cyle lane yesterday. pic.twitter.com/YTk0JYxr2H
— Will Bradley (@W_Bradley) July 7, 2020
Yes it is, but it’s the angle where a cycle lane has been built. Your photo doesn’t have a cycle lane in.
— Will Bradley (@W_Bradley) July 7, 2020
When she was campaigning for reelection, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo promised a bike lane on every street in the French capital.
During lockdown, she called for the building of 400 miles of “corona cycleways” to help people get around without using public transport.
Videos of the transformation have been cropping up frequently on social media.
Here's another.
Rue de Rivoli, Paris, 7 juillet 2020 à 8h45. pic.twitter.com/mCxWm8t1JX
— Brice Perrin (@briceperrin) July 7, 2020
We're acutely aware that we're hearing a lot more about the bad ones than the good ones.
Like this one, for example.
It would be good to hear a few more success stories.
We spotted this on our walk yesterday. What a lovely message.
I like to wear ‘normal’ clothes on my bike but I could be tempted to get a bib saying ‘drivers stay awesome’ on the back if it helps spread the love. Or just simply ‘people stay awesome’? ❤️We are all people afterall pic.twitter.com/oB7PiXqy7X— Eve Holt (@evefrancisholt) July 6, 2020
Great stickers.
This is one of the grimmest road traffic collision stories we’ve seen.
The Tribune reports that on February 20, 2004, Kamaljit Singh drove into a cyclist in Chandigarh in the north of India.
When a crowd gathered, he put the injured man in his car and said he’d take him to a hospital. However, he instead threw him in the road elsewhere in the city, where he was found dead two days later.
A police officer saw the collision and said Singh had been driving “in a rash and negligent manner.”
This week a court ruled that he had committed culpable homicide not amounting to murder without an intention to cause death but with the knowledge that it was likely to cause death and sentenced him to two years in prison.
It’s not entirely clear what happened in the intervening years beyond a reference to his having “evaded arrest.”
Frimley Bike Hub, a hire centre set in Frimley Lodge Park in Surrey, has had almost all of its bikes stolen.
Thieves broke in between Sunday evening and Monday morning, taking about £20,000 worth of bikes, many of which have barely been used.
Right @RBKingston that's it, you had your chance. I was sceptical but I thought I'll give it a go, keep an open mind. But no. I will never use the cycle lane on London road again. Never. I hope this short video helps explain. Watch till the end. @KingstonCycling any thoughts? pic.twitter.com/MPUtLmYFkk
— Commuting on my bike (@chausseedeforme) July 6, 2020
Following on from this morning's story about the Scottish Government assigning a value to 'removing driver frustration' when costing a road building project.
Technically it’s just a ‘review’ in August, but Trafford council has recently been strongly emphasising that the A56 cycle lanes were always intended to be temporary and they have of course already removed a huge great stretch following complaints from motorists.
A Trafford council spokesperson told the MEN: “We took the bold decision to create a temporary cycle lane on the A56 in line with government advice on social distancing and the restricted use of public transport, and made it clear we would keep this under review.
“While we are constantly monitoring the situation it makes sense for the next major review of the temporary cycle lane to take place at the end of the summer when more people will be returning to work following the easing of lockdown and all children are scheduled to be back in school.
“It will be at that time that decisions will be taken as to the future of this temporary cycle lane which will take into account traffic data and a wide range of views and we are not going to prejudge those decisions at this stage.”
Back in 2017, we reported on a Tayside police officer who delivered a close pass of a cyclist on a blind bend.
When we spoke to the force about the incident and asked why it did not run a close pass operation based on that pioneered by West Midlands Police, a spokesperson told us that, “in light of our collision and road casualty profile we do not consider an operation of this nature to be a high priority at this time.”
It was later reported that an enquiry had been carried out into the close pass. The force said that the officer responsible had been identified and given “appropriate advice.”
Campaigners have long been unhappy about the reluctance to carry out a lose pass operation and in 2019, Dundee councillors called for police to tackle dangerous overtaking. Police again refused.
Chief Superintendent Todd claimed: “There aren’t drivers driving close enough to cause the cyclists to have an accident.”
Todd went on to say that targeting cyclists – such as those running red lights – would have more benefit than targeting drivers “that aren’t causing any accidents.”
Now – finally! – The Courier reports Operation Close Pass is set to be introduced in Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus.
Neil Lumsden, Police Scotland’s north road policing area commander explained: “Since lockdown we have seen a modal shift towards more active travel. This includes an increase in the number of people using our roads for cycling.
“As part of our response to this change, road policing officers across the north will be conducting Operation Close Pass checks in areas including Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus.
“This preventative approach allows for positive engagement and an opportunity to educate and increase driver awareness about the need to give cyclists plenty of space.”
A pop-up cycle lane in Reigate that was installed at the weekend has been removed following pressure from the Surrey town’s Tory MP.
Crispin Blunt said he was “appalled at the predicted traffic chaos,” and described it as a “nonsensical cycle scheme.”
Incredibly, this pop-up cycle lane in Reigate is being taken out tonight after only a few days, before any realistic assessment can be made. What can we do to ensure the same fate doesn't befall the Albion Way pop-up cycle lane in Horsham when it goes in? https://t.co/cJqOXbpunX
— Horsham District Cycling Forum (@CycleForumHorsh) July 6, 2020
The Scottish Government is looking to dual 80 miles of single carriageway on the A9 trunk road between Perth and Inverness.
Is it worth it?
Spice Spotlight reports that analysis of the project set the direct benefits – journey time savings, lower vehicle operating costs and road safety benefits – against the negative environmental impacts.
The expected return is 78p in benefits for every pound spent by the Scottish Government.
You don’t need especially strong aptitude for maths to know that’s not good.
But no matter because the Government then asked consultants to put a monetary value on “removing driver frustration”.
The value of removing driver frustration is assessed as £430m (which is £86m more than the value given to collision reduction).
This little extra means the project would return £1.12 for every pound spent.
You can find information about the method in a paper here.