London police crackdown on rogue drivers and cyclists started this morning
8am Cockspur Street near Trafalgar Square: Metropolitan Police officers today very visibly turned up the screws on their recent initiative to target cyclists and drivers who disobey the rules of the road.
Then this afternoon between 4pm and 7pm, the City of London Police will be back working at Aldersgate Street, Bishopsgate, Ludgate Hill, The Bank and the Barbican Estate in the City of London.
According to Transport for London (TfL) "road users are being encouraged to respect each other and keep London's roads safe."
Over the coming months, police will regularly target key locations at peak times across London to crack down on road users who disobey traffic signals, encroach on advance stop lines, cycle carelessly or on pavements or use their mobile phones.
A TfL press release published this morning goes on, "With London's cycling revolution gathering pace and the number of people travelling by bicycle in the Capital increasing, officers from the City of London Police and Metropolitan Police Service will be using education and enforcement to encourage considerate and safe behaviour from all road users and promote sharing the road safely."
"Road users found to be behaving negligently or in an aggressive manner will be handed a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of up to £60 by police officers. Motorists and cyclists given a FPN for less serious offences may get the option to have their ticket cancelled if they attend a safety education course."
Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor of London's Transport Advisor, said: "While the vast majority of cyclists and motorists behave with care on the Capital's roads, targeted operations such as these encourage considerate, safe and lawful behaviour from all road users and help to create a culture of mutual respect where all road users can share the road safely.
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"The Mayor wants to see cyclists on their best behaviour as part of the cycling revolution in the city.
"This is London's year of cycling and it's clear there is a huge potential to increase the number of people travelling around the city by pedal power. For this to happen we need all road users, including cyclists, to use the road responsibly so we can move a step closer to realising the Mayor's vision to make London the best big cycling city in the world."
Chief Inspector Craig Haslam from Westminster Borough Police said: "Our officers work hard to ensure that cyclists and other road users are able to travel as safely as possible across London. We do not tolerate anyone behaving in a way that endangers others and anyone who rides or drives on the roads must be aware of their responsibility for their own safety and that of other road users."
City of London Police's Chief Inspector Matt Burgess said: "Cyclists heading into a busy city like London need to be aware of the different hazards they face - especially around HGVs and their blind spots - and that's why our officers are out in the community, giving specialist urban cycling advice.
"But we will not tolerate any road user who chooses to ignore the rules, and will issue fixed penalty notices to anyone caught running red lights, cycling on the pavement or driving recklessly."
Steve Burton, TfL's Director of Community Safety, Enforcement and Policing, said: "It's important that all road users behave with consideration towards each other and obey the rules of the road.
"During these operations, police officers will take the opportunity to hand out safety advice as well as issuing FPNs to motorists and cyclists who are clearly negligent and jump red lights, encroach advanced stop lines or cycle on pavements."
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Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.
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