Spokes 33

Editorial - Automatic liability takes step forward

In a new law the European Commission is proposing that car and lorry drivers shall always be liable in accidents with a cyclist or a pedestrian. This already applies over much of Europe, it’s why French drivers give a polite little "toot" and pull over when they come up behind a cyclist. The reasoning is simple. The danger always comes from the heavier car or lorry. The "soft" road user as a victim always comes off worse than the car driver. The bigger heavier vehicle is always held to be at fault, lorry to car/cyclist/pedestrian, and car to cyclist/pedestrian. Another argument is that as car and lorry drivers have a compulsory insurance against liability they will have to change their behaviour. As those of us who cycle abroad can vouch it certainly works. In principle, the biker or pedestrian should never be liable for damage inflicted in traffic and s/he will also be compensated for damage and or injury incurred.

The Netherlands suggested this system five years ago, with the political compromise that car drivers are always liable for at least 50% of the damage. The original 100% proposal didn’t make it after vehement reactions from the car lobby.

Of course there have been the usual bleats in the UK from people like RAC spokesman Edmund King who has said, "The extra burden could tip more hard-pressed motorists over the edge, into not getting insured." Comments like that are not sought from RAC members but usually come as a knee jerk reaction. The proposal drawn up by the European Commission, currently in the committee stage is part of an effort to harmonise motor insurance laws across the EU. It is expected to come before the full parliament in November.

Spokes has campaigned for this change in the rules for some time and one thing the EC might like to consider is the adoption of the Danish law which says that if a car is involved in an accident with a child then all the papers on the case are sent straight to the Minister of Transport. As a result drivers are very careful. That must be good for everyone.

Sam Webb

Tenterden route on track! - When we moved to our new house in Tenterden, Wilcon the builders were giving away a bicycle with each house, and the promise that the disused railway line at the back of our estate in St Michaels was going to be made into a pedestrian/cycle path linking us to the town. Nothing happened. The builders discovered some objectors. They opted out of the scheme, and gave £80,000 to Ashford Borough Council to build it themselves.

It was time for detective work! Yes Ashford BC had the money from Wilcon and 4 years to build the path. Then the huge bureaucracy of the Borough Council’s general funds would swallow all the money forever. Action was required!

The path had only met with local opposition, mainly from residents whose gardens backed onto the path. These were the only people the council had heard from. We sounded out public opinion and got 500 signatures. The "noes" were a very tiny minority. We sent a copy to Ashford Borough Council and publicly presented the petition to the mayor of Tenterden with the local paper in attendance. The path was front-page news.

At the end of May 2002, phase 1 of the path was under construction. Next year sees the start of phase 2 and public consultation on phase 3. Hopefully by 2007/2008 we should have a path that will link into National Cycle Route 18 and be a real asset to the whole community.

The Perry Family Tenterden
Happily for local cyclists, the Perry family and friends DID do something.

The commuter's tale - I have commuted between Whitstable and Canterbury on a daily basis using the Crab and Winkle from before it was a recognised cycle track. The day I started using the track my journey was transformed from one of fumes, noise and danger to one of great pleasure. At its best the track is a twenty minute haven at each end of the day, at worst it is a frustrating public amenity that is administered by those who appear to be ignorant of cyclists’ needs. Canterbury City Council should be applauded for the introduction of the route, but the upkeep of the track is as important as its introduction. With little justification the way has been closed for months for Foot and Mouth and endless Forestry Commission work. Farmer’s contractors regularly cut hedges and leave the trimmings where they fall causing numerous punctures. The Forestry Commission’s logging operations had the way ‘closed’ for several weeks but a logger was never seen working in the ‘rush’ times. We are very lucky to have the Crab and Winkle but it should be treated with equal status as that of a road and not as a leisure facility, motorists would not put up with the disruption and low levels of upkeep, so why should cyclists? If the track was better managed usage would increase and we would all benefit from less road traffic.

Nigel Ranger

The head teacher reports - As a school we actively support and encourage children to cycle to school accompanied by a named adult – usually their parent. Setting up a cycling policy was one of the first initiatives that I introduced after taking up the headship at Blean School in April 2000. Since then I have issued 76 permits to children from 4 – 11. Children are encouraged to wear a cycle helmet and when they are in Year 6 many of them undertake the Cycling Proficiency Programme of Training. We have accessed this training for many years and always find it positive in teaching safe cycling. When awards are presented in assembly, I always make the point to the children that they must continue to be careful on the road, and that they must continue to learn how to be a better cyclist. I know that the Crab & Winkle route is often used by our children as it runs very close to our school. Many positive comments have been passed about the route, although my understanding is that, in some places, there is need for some repair, and recently parents copied a letter to me which they had written to the council.

Health Education and traffic congestion are major concerns of us all, and we are playing a small part in the campaign to encourage cycling in our area to help address these important issues.

Keith Oliver head teacher Blean School.

A case of judge for yourself.... A local Judge writes, Living in Whitstable and working in Canterbury, the only logical commuter route is the A290. There are one or two brave and skilful cyclists who ply this route, but it would be difficult to find a road less cyclist, pedestrian, or horse friendly. All are at high risk of death or serious injury from cars that consistently ignore the limit. There are blind corners, blind hills, blind turnings and blind junctions. Drivers convince themselves that nothing is coming the other way.

It was when somebody told me about the three-year old railway cycle route that cut out the A290 and joined up with the Salt Way/University route that I had a sudden revelation. I could get out of my car going to and from work. I had not ridden a bike for ten years since taking the children on rides through the Blean Woods at Rough Common. There were 4 rusty bikes in a shed, I got the least rusty out and did the route. It was obvious that this was the way to go to work.

My earnest wish is to see the Crab & Winkle Way Tunnel opened, and I would urge a more radical approach to cycle routes.

Judge Van Der Bijl

Signs point to secret "motorway - The Crab and Winkle way is the M1 of cycling but the difference is that the M1 is easily accessible and is signed from miles around. As part of my service for my Duke of Edinburgh bronze award I decided, under the guidance of Sheila Webb, to do a survey of the si

gning for the Crab and Winkle way between Canterbury and Whitstable. I started off at the Canterbury West train station and discovered that if I was looking for the start of the route and had never been there before then I would have been lost straight away. Luckily I knew the route but the many tourists that would come to cycle the route would not know the way. The signing up to the start of the off-road route was atrocious. When, however, I reached the university and the off-road section the route was incredibly well signed and a very pleasant ride. However, once I reached the Whitstable end the route hit a dead end and without a map anyone could easily get lost. While on the route and out I put marks on a map where changes needed to be made and then went with Sheila to the city council to propose the ideas. In the future I am hoping that the council will make the changes and make a much better route for all the tourists and general cyclists that would like to use the route.

James Richardson

Thanks for passing carefully- Please pass on my thanks to all Spokes members that I tend to meet on the Crab and Winkle Way whilst riding my horse. About seventeen months ago I had a bad experience whilst riding in Clowes Woods when a cyclist, on purpose came towards me at top speed muttering about horses. The incident left my horse terrified of oncoming cyclists. Indeed he used to try and spin round and bolt when he seen a cyclist approaching after this incident. I spent the following six months asking oncoming cyclists to slow down. My horse is now a lot better and, whilst not 100% happy with approaching cyclists, is much better than he was. I have become aware over the past few months that the majority of cyclists I now meet show extreme courtesy and consideration to horses, I believe that these courteous cyclists tend to be members of Spokes. I would therefore like to pass on my sincere thanks to the responsible cyclists out there. I have only had one recent bad experience with a chap on a bike, he was not a Spokes member, I asked him!

Margaret Connolly

The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury is now cycle friendly having just installed new stainless steel cycle racks near the stage door.

25 years of Sustrans & Queen's Award for Sustainable Development - On the weekend of 6^th & 7^th July 2002 a series of events were held in the West Country to celebrate Sustrans winning the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development, and to mark 25 years since the inception of Sustrans in its original form of "Cyclebag".

The Saturday began early with 2 buses of staff and bikes leaving Bristol at 8.30am for the opening of the Granite Way across Dartmoor by Adam Hart Davis and the local Mayoress. It was originally a tramway with granite rails. This was followed by a visit to an early aqueduct built by Sir Francis Drake.

On Sunday the Lord Lieutenant of Bristol arrived in Millennium Square by rickshaw and presented John Grimshaw with the Queen’s Award. We set off with 200 cyclists for the Bristol to Bath Cycle Path. John Grimshaw showed the point where the very first lorry load of materials was brought in to start what became the National Cycle Network. At the time of building the path, money was only available for sculptures, not for the path. So John Grimshaw intelligently added several yards of asphalt either side of each milepost sculpture and joined them all together.

Further on we passed through a tunnel lit by "bat-friendly lighting," saw trees planted 20 years ago which will form a formal entrance to Bath and then had lunch in a park There was much to celebrate.

The Shirley Family

From the land where Roadsters rule supreme - Boboboro, (writes Beatrice Shire, one the original Canterbury Cycle Campaigners now working in Uganda), is about 5 miles from Lira, 200 miles or so north of Kampala and Lake Victoria; most of the direct route being a single track murrum (red dirt) road through Adekokwok, the HQ of the district sub-county. This is ideal for cycling as it has fewer hills than the tarmac road-the main route is to take the road from Lira towards Soroti, which is tarmac for 5 miles, and then turn off north to Boboboro-and is cooler because the trees overhang the road and give shade. Tarmac is almost unbearable in glaring sun at 40 degs C! But there’s not much tarmac and there are 100s of bicycles; almost all Roadmasters assembled, after a fashion, in Kampala under some arrangement with Raleigh, Nottingham. They all labelled "all steel," although the tyres are rubber and the saddles are a sort of cardboard made to look like leather-until they get wet!

There’s a whole industry servicing the these bikes before people ride them – and afterwards too - because the nuts, bolts and spokes all need to be tightened after "assembly" in the factory and the chain length adjusted. Until bits fall off the chains are totally enclosed-a useful protection from dust and sand which get everywhere in the dry season. In the wet if you are caught in the rain mud gets everywhere. Almost all bikes are large gents models with 28" wheels, heavy stands and carriers and a single gear. Locks which are all the same are another thing replaced if you want to keep your bike!

When people feel too poor for the initial investment, or too hot to pedal themselves, they use Boda-bodas. These are bicycle taxis, adapted to carry passengers by the addition of a vinyl covered cushion on the carrier. There are also extended axles on the rear wheel for men’s feet; women sit side saddle and children’s legs dangle. The name is a corruption of border-border meaning door to door. Many of them have vinyl cut into tassels over the cross bar.- an extra seat for a passenger- and look very gaudy. Their owners/riders are very proud of them. They are used by well off parents to transport their children to school; 3 or so per boda-boda-two on the carrier and one on the crossbar. But many children ride their own bikes, to fetch water, charcoal or food. They reach the pedals as best they can, sometimes through the frame triangle when they are very small.

I’m wearing my slightly faded Cycling Round Canterbury T-Shirts as it seemed appropriate to give the new one to the Bishop’s family. His various children love it! So Spokes and Canterbury Cycling Campaign are represented around here; not at night though, as there are still roving groups of bandits, and many potholes to trap the unwary.

Beatrice Shire, Uganda

Making a wheel difference to farming - Shri Gopal malhari Bhinse is a 62 year old marginal farmer of Shendurin village, Marharashtra State, India. He has more than an acre of land. He owns no bullocks and has no money to hire a tractor. He grows sorghum, cotton and rice paddy, and this year he cultivated maize. Apart from various socio-economic problems, he also faces farming problems, such as excessive weed growth, which he and his wife remove manually. He could not afford to hire labour.

During this period, Gopal saw a man carrying a bag of floor on his bicycle. A thought struck him; could he make use of a wheel? He purchased a bicycle wheel and handle and fixed a rod with a blade at one end of the handle, making the blade adjustable and safe to use. His wife and the owner of the Sachin Welding Works helped him to prepare this weeder, which he has called "Krishiraja".
He fixed a pickaxe to help where land is hard and, later added a tiller which can cultivate to a ¾" depth. Now he can weed one acre of land in four to five hours. It’s so simple his 12 year old nephew can use it easily. The cost of making it Rs. 1000-1200. He has now made 213 machines for other farmers.

Find out more at World Education Development Group website or Email

Stop Press - The Viking Trail has won a Local Agenda 21 Award for making a positive contribution to the environment of Thanet in East Kent. Phil Pittock, Senior Transport Planner, KCC Highways said: "This pleasing award bears out recent research by Sustrans, which indicates that 44% of people using the Viking Coastal Trail could have used a car to make their journey but decided not to, and that almost 70% are cycling the Trail for health and fitness reasons". The aim of Agenda 21 is to, "act locally, think globally." It was endorsed by 170 countries at the Rio summit in 1992.

Newsletter for Autumn 2002
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