Firstly the issue over Police fees.  The situation is that cycle races are taking place on a public highway and unless a total road closure is obtained for the relevent roads (which is extremely rare for your local cycle races) then the cyclists MUST obey the rules of the road and hence stay on the left and ultimately give way at junctions.  Clearly giving way is not achievable whilst racing so therefore the cyclists rely on the race organisers providing suitable escort and persons to stop traffic to allow the race to progress unhindered.  This is where the problem start….marshals have NO power to stop vehicles and if they do so they are acting without any authority to do so.  Therefore the race organisers must employ the Police or PCSOs to stop traffic, the Safety Advisory Groups who are multi agency are taking the view that without police then the race cannot run safely. So event organisers have therefore to pay for this extra policing as it is duties additional to routine policing.  These costs can be £90 per hour per Police Constable. 

I hope we will see a new bill to give such traffic powers to marshals and that each marshal will be trained and accredited in order to get this power.

Secondly

I agree re schools and in fact a lot of public bodies attitiude to risk.  Risks of injuries are present in everything we do and the best approach is to look at reducing those risks but it is imposible to eliminate them.  It would be good practice for schools to encourage cycling to school but work with the council to establish safer routes by using cycle paths or quiet roads etc..      

Also Kim are you with the club?

Maybe

Well kim thanks for the update.

My wife Hazel is a member and she is always on the look out for more female members to go out on cycle rides with.

An interest in cycling is a good reason to join in my book.

But great to have your contributions.

Mark

Yes I forgot to mention that Tommo but at the time of writing I was rather irritated by the other part of the story.

Yeah I read it as well, my 13y son cycles every day to school (2.5m) and back with his mates, he loves it and gets wound up when he can't for some reason or another. Still went on it today even tho it was chucking it down. Well hard.

The traffic at Scalby Road / Woodlands Drive area on a morning at 8:25-8:45 is a total joke. Some may live a long way away but most don't. Takes me 7-8mins to go to work up Woodlands Drive at that time on my bike but I had to take him in the car a few weeks ago and drop him at St Augies, that 1m I had left to do in the car took 15mins.