Cyclists warned of danger to public after 40 stopped in Scarborough town centre

On Tuesday August 16, police held a ‘day of action’ which targeted cyclists riding on pavements and aimed to protect residents and visitors.

Police stopped and talked to 40 cyclists who were riding their bicycles on pavements.

PC Kirsty Masters said: “Each of the riders were advised of the danger they were causing to pedestrians and were asked to get off their bikes. If they refused, they would have faced a £50 fine.

“When we explained our operation, most of the people were very understanding and appreciative of our actions.

“Whilst enforcement is always an option we can take, our main focus is on engagement and educating cyclists so that they are aware of the vulnerability of pedestrians in our busy town centre.”

It comes after a new project launched last month which offered safety to pedestrians in the traffic restriction, which is located in the town centre.

The project came about after a series of collisions in the restriction zone and consultations with nearby businesses.

North Yorkshire County Council has put clear signage in place about the restricted areas and an advice leaflet has been produced with assistance from Scarborough Borough Council.

There are exceptions for the restriction zone, and these include access to goods vehicles between 4pm and 11am to load and unload, acess to utility vehicles but they must adhere to the one-way system which is in place and emergency services also have full right of access at any time.