My biggest irritation when cycling is not what you think - Alastair Dalton
Delivery riders part of the increasing scourge
It’s what irritates me the most when I’m cycling - but I’m not talking about inattentive drivers, but errant cyclists.
Keeping sharp eyes on vehicles is my primary focus when riding, but other cyclists come a very close second.
That’s pretty ironic since those on bikes should pose a lower risk than cars, along with taking up less road space and producing fewer emissions.
But it probably particularly annoys me because this was so unexpected when I first encountered the selfish and downright dangerous behaviour of some people on bikes.
I mean those who almost collide with you because they’re not looking where they’re going, have no lights, pull out in front of you or undertake you.
Perhaps the worst near miss I’ve encountered was a cyclist who came up behind me and was about to pass me on my left as I was about to turn left on Easter Road in Edinburgh.
If I hadn’t looked behind me, there could have been a nasty crash but I don’t think the other cyclist had any notion of the danger they were putting us both in or understood why that sort of behaviour is just idiotic.
But the most startling incident I’ve experienced was a rider suddenly emerging in the dark from behind a wall right across me on my path beside the River Clyde in Glasgow city centre.
He had no lights, and, as I recall it, dark clothing, but what staggered me most of all was that he was completely unapologetic about his actions, arguing that he didn’t need lights because he wasn’t on the road.
I wouldn’t want to collide with a motor vehicle while cycling, but equally, I fear for an impact with a heavy electric bike that’s being ridden at illegally high speeds.
The rise in the number of food delivery riders in both cities, many of whom appear to use such bikes, and the increase in poor cycling that I’ve noticed on my daily commute is no coincidence, I believe.
My theory is that among these riders, a fair few of those who ignore traffic laws, if not most of them, don’t have a driving licence, so may have never learned the rules of the road or feel that added sense of responsibility as a driver.
One rider told me had no idea you needed lights on your bike after dark. Meanwhile, those who ride through red lights may think they are optional for cyclists, but when they plough through pedestrians who are crossing the road while the green man is on, what are they thinking?
I know there are several mitigating factors which are relevant to keep all this in perspective, such as the relative danger of being hit by a car - or larger vehicle - rather than a bike. I accept that but it doesn’t excuse anyone.
In addition, even though delivery riders are technically self employed, an element of responsibility must lie with firms who pay them, like Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats to ensure they are trained properly and are not just subject to a cursory tick box check on an online form.
Riders must also not be under pressure to deliver orders in unrealistic timescales that might tempt them to cut corners, like riding through red lights, or be paid such low rates they feel forced to do this to make a living, especially if too many have been allowed to sign up for the amount of work available.
Why does this matter? Because of the potential implications for other cyclists and those being encouraged to ride - which, as far as the Scottish government is concerned, is pretty much all of us.
Ministers want to make cycling, along with wheeling and walking, the most popular choice for short journeys by 2030.
We need to do everything we can to support that - for our individual health, and collectively, for the planet.
There are already enough things deterring many people from getting into the saddle, primarily concerns over safety.
For the danger of being hit by a careless or ignorant cyclist to be added to the list of what’s putting others off would be an ugly paradox.
A wider point is that cycling also has its critics, so the irresponsible minority must not be allowed to besmirch the considerate majority.
Large-scale bike lane construction is underway in cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh, such as the high-profile Avenues network of routes into the city centre in the former and the City Centre West East Link in the latter.
This much-needed rebalancing of road space in congested urban areas must not be called into question by the antics of the few.
A new initiative by Police Scotland may also help. The force launched its biggest ever crackdown on the illegal use of modified or banned electric bikes last week.
It strikes me that if there was a big enough push on that, the majority of food delivery bikes could end up in police compounds to be destroyed.
That’s on the basis that virtually all the delivery riders I encounter overtake the legal hire bikes I ride, whose motors are limited to the 15.5mph legal maximum on roads, often with the other cyclist not even pedalling.
Their riders may of course just switch to legal bikes if their cycles are seized, but if that leads to lighter and slower cycles, it could cut the risk to themselves and everyone else.
Short of that, what’s it going to take to tackle the menace?