Cyclists have been left divided over a "first-of-its-kind" bike roundabout that's opened in the UK.
The four-way roundabout sits on a junction in Salford, Manchester, and has been developed after "extensive consultation" with members of the public, cyclists and groups, said the city's council.
It was installed as part of an upgrade worth £22million, and caters for people with a "wide range of disabilities and visual impairment" in order to "provide the safest crossing solution."
But its appearance has led to accusations of the authority misunderstanding bike riders' behaviour, reports Manchester Evening News.
Cyclist Hamish Gray, who runs the campaigning group Walk Ride Central Salford, tweeted: "First, the pedestrian experience here is hugely compromised.
"You have to cross into a ring of fire to exit. Every desire line is away from the path you are supposed to take.
"Similarly, the cycle desire line is also the opposite to what's designed. You want to either cut across the opposite lane or go across the middle. These both leave peds and cycles in conflict."
Another person posted online: "All the design does successfully is to inconvenience the less able-bodied."
Councillor Mike McCusker, the authority's lead member for planning and sustainable development, claimed the roundabout is "possibly the first of its kind" in England.
Although the roundabout has "created debate", there has also been "positive feedback", he added.
Cllr McCusker said: “This is possibly the first roundabout of its kind in the country, so it is certainly creating some debate and we have had a lot of positive feedback.
“The roundabout allows pedestrians to cross the junction safely in two short moves so they only have to be aware of one lane of cycle traffic at a time.
"It provides a quicker crossing for them and is safer than trying to cross a wider junction with traffic from both directions."
