Patricia Thompson | Punishing cyclists for Gov't's lack of vision

While I applaud the Government making efforts to bring more discipline to using the roadways, there are many considerations other than wanton taxing of road users, especially the exorbitant fines stated for pedal cyclists.

The Government should first examine the facilities it provides for pedal cyclists to use the road - NONE. Other countries have a special lane for cyclists, hence the recommendation by PAHO-WHO that more persons should cycle to work for exercise rather than drive cars. Obviously, they have not observed our roadways in Jamaica.

Cyclists have to grapple with joggers and walkers spread across both sides of the road that they find less treacherous than the sidewalks full of gaping holes that are provided. This leaves no alternative to cyclists but to ride in nearly the middle of the road.

Taxi and bus drivers

Here, cyclists must face the taxi drivers and bus drivers on both sides, since they have to swing out rather than mounting these same dangerous sidewalks themselves. Take the case of the taxi drivers who swing around the cyclists and stop 'braps' in front of them. To avoid a face-on collision with the vehicle, the cyclist has to make a moment's decision to brave the oncoming bus by swinging way out since the offloading passengers suddenly swing the vehicle's doors wide open on the roadside, as well as the sidewalk side, in front of the overtaking cyclist.

No further than 25 yards down the road, the same taxi man repeats the same action. Couldn't all passengers offload at the same spot? But I understand that taxi vehicles are not allowed to stop at bus stops, so you never know when they will stop suddenly.

Not to mention pedestrians, especially school children, who exit the school gate and immediately set out, dawdling, across the road without even a glance at the traffic light that is red for them and green for the oncoming traffic. Would they even walk the 25 yards to the pedestrian crossing where they would have noticed this?

Under these circumstances, how can pedal cyclists follow the traffic lights when no one else is governed by them? Are pedal cyclists required to learn the road signs and have a licence to use the road before purchasing their bicycle? Or should we all stop riding and purchase cars (whether we can afford or not) and then clog the newly constructed and widened roads with more vehicles?

What should we then do for exercise? Join Dr Tufton's joggers and walkers, who I have already observed are treacherous to cyclists? They also place their water stop vehicles right on the corners so that cyclists again have to swing out into the middle of the road when approaching a main road just to see if there is oncoming traffic.

Public education

I agree with the author, Edmond Campbell's, suggestion in the May 15, 2018, Gleaner article ('Pedal cyclists to face tough fines') "That the authorities need to carry out an extensive public-education exercise before implementing the law. This means that thwy should reach the people where they are and not just rely on media messages placed inappropriately where the population neither sees nor reads. Or, perhaps, the Government should provide us with proper walking and cycling trails to avoid our having to use the roads? Or maybe parks, and gardens, like Hope Gardens could be reopened to facilitate these exercisers, or, perhaps, we should all just stop exercising and become obese, thereby costing the Government more for the provision of health care?

- Patricia Thompson is a registered nutritionist and recreational cyclist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and patriciatho@gmail.com.