A local resident takes on Peterborough’s anti-cycling PSPO

Peterborough introduced a PSPO that restricted cycling; the punishment and issuing of fines was outsourced to a private company. The result was a massive 2430 fines issued in Peterborough in 2018, largely to sensible cyclists.

The council recently called a consultation on the renewing of its PSPO. David Jost, a local resident, sent the following response:

Earlier this year Peterborough City Council declared ‘climate emergency and resolved to achieve’zero-carbon’ by 2030. Amongst other measures this requires a general switch from carbo-generating motor traffic to walking and cycling whenever and wherever feasible. Thus cycling needs to be given every encouragement. To ban cycling in Bridge Street, the widest street in the city centre is completely counter to the zero-carbon ambition.

Reckless, dangerous cycling anywhere is to be deplored and provisions exist to deal with such anti-social behaviour. But cycling sensibly along Bridge Street causes no harm. Hitherto only sensible cyclists have been stopped by the security guards since reckless cyclists speed past the security guards who have no means to stop them or catch them. So cyclists posing no danger end up with £80 fines and bad cyclists escape. The policy makes no sense; it is unfair and makes a  mockery of the Council’s ambition to become the country’s ‘environment capital’.

Furthermore Peterborough fines more people under its PSPO policy than any other local authority. I doubt if elected members want this fine city to be known as the most authoritarian in the land!