Cycling: Accidents

Lord Bradshaw Excerpts

Thursday 8th December 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Haskel]

My Lords—

[Lord Bradshaw]

My Lords—

[Lord Strathclyde]

My Lords, we have not heard from the Benches behind us.

[Lord Bradshaw]

Does the noble Earl agree that there is antipathy between all classes of road users? For example, bus drivers hate cyclists, pedestrians hate cyclists and motorists hate lorries. However, it is important that the classification of what PCSOs and local authority wardens are able to do is reviewed, and ensure that all chief constables and wardens have the powers, which I do not believe they do, to intervene not just in cycling on pavements but also in all sorts of moving traffic offences.

[Earl Attlee]

My Lords, the Question is essentially about cycling, and in respect of offences, I have already said that education is more important than enforcement, especially with youngsters. Frankly, it is not realistic to issue a fixed penalty notice to a 10 year-old.