UK city proposes banning cyclists from city centre

The proposal has not been welcomed by campaigners

A report by Birmingham City Council’s regulation and community safety executives has raised concerns over couriers and food delivery bikes going through pedestrian areas at speed and without care for pedestrians.

The new proposals, which are due to go to public consultation, suggest that cycling could be ‘restricted by time periods’ or even banned completely.

The document suggests adding cycling restrictions to the city's Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which currently addresses antisocial behaviours like large gatherings, street drinking, graffiti, and loud noise, with penalties for those who do not comply.

Campaigners for active travel have opposed the plans.

Mat MacDonald, the chairman of the Better Streets for Birmingham campaign group, told The Guardian: “If you have someone zipping by at 20mph on one of those things, it does create a risk.

“But there is already ample legislation to deal with that. 

“There are ways of clamping down on that problem that don't involve cutting off the entire middle of the city for people who are travelling by bike.

“It would only make cycling more dangerous in Birmingham.”

MacDonald added that it would ‘force cyclists back onto busy, dangerous roads with high traffic’ and set back the council’s own goals for active travel.

Duncan Dollimore, the head of campaigns at Cycling UK, said: “There are people in this world who are irresponsible, and some of them are on a bike – but if that's the problem, we need to deal with that behaviour.”

A Birmingham City Council spokesman said: “We are considering measures to try and decrease instances of cycling at speed through one small area of the city centre where there is high footfall, and it is unsafe to cycle due to the likelihood of near misses and collisions.

“This does not impact on the council's commitment to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists as part of ongoing developments and its transportation plan.”