A Stirling councillor has appealed for “etiquette” between cyclists, drivers and pedestrians to be better understood.
Stirling Tory councillor Rachel Nunn said she had even started riding her bike on an alternative route because of experiencing near-misses with vehicles.
At a recent meeting of Stirling Council’s public safety committee, the ward member for Stirling North, said the council was looking to promote more active travel but added: “One of the issues I get brought to me as a community based councillor is the etiquette of cyclists and pedestrians.
“A pedestrian will be frustrated by a cyclist on the pavement; perhaps the cyclist should be there but the pedestrians have to ensure they are not taking up the whole pavement.
“As a cyclist I started taking a different route as it is only a matter of time before I’m knocked off my bike. Could we have some kind of campaign on etiquette for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians?’’
Forth Valley area commander Chief Superintendent Alan Gibson, however, suggested sometimes the way to do things properly depended on who was asked, and referenced a recent police campaign, Operation Close Pass, aimed at encouraging drivers to give cyclists more space.
“It’s a tricky subject because it’s about influencing behaviour - and everyone thinks their behaviour is the most appropriate in the circumstances,” said CS Gibson.
“Often a pedestrian thinks the pedestrian is right and the cyclist thinks the cyclist is right. That’s why we had Operation Close Pass. It’s about educating and encouraging people to do the right thing, not just us but Scottish Fire and Rescue and Stirling Council.
“Too many people are still killed on our roadways and footways. These are not huge numbers but every one is a tragedy.”
However, he agreed that everyone needed to do more locally to promote better use of roads and footways.
