I WILL not defend anyone either cyclist, motorist, or pedestrian, breaking the law or flouting the Highway Code, both are there to help keep everyone safe as possible.

However “name and address supplied” shows their own bias in favour of the motorist and an anti-cyclist stance when offering a view on the appropriate response to supposed offences with the comment “severely brought to task”. Surely the punishment should fit the crime, perhaps the punishment should be proportional to the potential harm caused to third parties or the same punishment for all regardless of the specific type of transport.

As further evidence of the anti-cyclist views expressed by “name and address supplied”. I refer to the implied offence of cycling two abreast which it is suggested would incur a punishment of being “severely brought to task”, yet it is considered acceptable in the Highway Code (rule 66), surely “name and address supplied” would be aware of this based on their implied knowledge of same, from their keenness to quiz others on their knowledge of the famous code.

The consequences of violating the rules of the road are again made crystal clear in the Penalty Table (page 126), “name and address supplied” may be surprised to see that the same penalties apply to all (with the exception of licence penalty points, as neither cyclists or pedestrians are required to hold a licence).

I feel that I must also comment on the issue raised by “name and address supplied”concerning cyclists who ride on footpaths. Have you ever considered why? I do agree that cycling on the footpath is often inconsiderate and dangerous, but let us not forget that a number of footpaths in Bury are a shared resource between cyclist and pedestrians. Cycling on the footpath carries a maximum penalty of £500. Yet there is no such specific offence for driving a vehicle on the footpath. Which is the most threatening action to a pedestrian, a cycle weighing 10kg at 15mph or a 1000kg vehicle at 30mph on a footpath? Then the vehicle is left on the footpath causing obstructions to the free and unimpaired movement of pedestrians particularly when pushing a pram/pushchair and people using wheelchairs, usually forcing the innocent on to busy roads.

No group of road users is perfect but one group is much more of a danger to the other two, who do you think that is “name and address supplied”?

Peter Billington

Anderton Close

Bury