Tougher rules coming for cyclists

[Paphos Life]

Cyclists will be required to wear a protective helmet as of next month or will be fined, the government has announced. The specifications of the type of protective helmet have been published in the government gazette, where the benefits of its use were also noted. According to the international literature,...

Read the article and chat about it below...

[MiaBeth]

What’s the point of this new legislation? Motorcycle helmets have been law for at least the last 25 years and how many do you see being worn on the head or even on the arm.

[trevnhil]

Maybe the law re Motor Cycle helmets does not mention WHERE you have to wear them. As you say, some people have them on an elbow

[WHL]

What’s the point of this new legislation? Motorcycle helmets have been law for at least the last 25 years and how many do you see being worn on the head or even on the arm.

Police can catch up with cyclists , more difficult to catch up some herbert doing a ton and a half.

[Dominic]

It's easier to catch somebody on a bicycle compared to a motorcycle. Until they get the courts sorted out it is a bit pointless anyway. Just more fines to clog up an already clogged up system.

[JimX]

The law makes good sense but they cannot get all motor bike riders to wear a helmet, so what chance???

[Cappielow1]

Just ban the feckers from the roads all together, worldwide

[bromerzz]

In th meantime miles of nice red cycle lanes locally remain unused whilst cyclists whizz by on the tarmac roadway alongside.

[WHL]

In th meantime miles of nice red cycle lanes locally remain unused whilst cyclists whizz by on the tarmac roadway alongside.

Recently ive been on a health trip and took the bike out, some of the bike lanes are in such a bad way, pot holes etc , its better to use the road, im a bit unsteady so i keep on the bike lanes, but bone shaker dosnt come close

[trevnhil]

Do you wear a helmet to protect your head if you fall or get knocked off ?

[wantoosoon]

Cycle paths in Cyprus are few and far between, and often blocked by parked cars and oblivious pedestrians. They also require you to give way to cars at every junction, while riding on the road doesn't.

It's no surprise that few people cycle and that even fewer use the cycle paths! This helmet law will only make cycling less popular and improve safety not a jot.

[WHL]

Do you wear a helmet to protect your head if you fall or get knocked off ?

No i dont Trev, but it looks like i will have to now it is being made compulsory, i have been avoiding busy roads and hills, until im confident enough

[WHL]

Cycle paths in Cyprus are few and far between, and often blocked by parked cars and oblivious pedestrians. They also require you to give way to cars at every junction, while riding on the road doesn't.

It's no surprise that few people cycle and that even fewer use the cycle paths! This helmet law will only make cycling less popular and improve safety not a jot.

In Larnaca we have a good amount of bike lanes, unfortunately alot need repairing

[Kili01]

In and around Paphos many cycle lanes are too narrow to be safe for either cyclists or drivers who have to swerve to give the cyclist enough space when overtaking. Cyclists are one thing, but personally I dislike electric scooters. These riders ride on pavements, roads and footpaths.Most scooters and many bicycles have no lights, or bells. If ridden in the dusk or after dark they are very hard to see.
Some are a danger to themselves. Most wear no helmets.

Dee

[Anarita John]

On Tuesday I rode from Anarita to Sea Caves and back. I posted about my ride on the Paphos Life facebook page. I always use the cycle lanes as I am a plodder.
Ride took me along the B6. Don't go via the lanes now, as this time last year whilst riding with my daughter, we were accosted by a free running Alsatian, which had managed to escape from one of the fields.
B6 has a wide hard shoulder, so it is fairly safe to ride along. Then on to the cycle track down to Gerriskipou, where, at every junction you have to dismount, walk around the corner and negotiate bushes which are overgrown and posts in the road. Inexperienced cyclists would not even be able to ride around the posts. It is no wonder racing bikes use the road.
I always ride down to the beach then along the beach road, through the lunar park then past the hotel onto the waste ground next to St Nicholas Church. However, there are now no cycling signs for the whole length of the Gerriskipou Beach front, so it is back to the road, cross over by the casino and use the cycle track along the main road, where again you have to negotiate posts and give way to traffic at junctions. Even before the signs, I wouldn't dream of riding my bike along the coast path in tourist season or when it is busy.

There were still people on scooters using the footpath and a few youths on bikes. I feel really sorry for the Segway Man, who does guided tours along the sea front and is extremely safety conscious.

The work at the harbour meant that I had to ride up to the Mall and along TOTK Road. No cycle path until well past the mall so it was riding on the road.

I dropped down to the coast path again. Elysium Hotel the path was blocked so had to go back to the road again and then to Lidl, where I rejoined the coast path and rode as far as Poppadums. Then it is fairly safe as again a wide shoulder or paths designated for pedestrians and cyclists. There is now a very rough, gravel path from Banana Bay almost to Coral Bay so you no longer have to ride along the road.

[Dominic]

Tiny point, you posted to the Paphos Chat Facebook Group. It is run by Paphos Life (us) but if anybody tries to post on the Paphos Life Facebook Page it won't be seen.

If anybody doesn't know the Facebook Group, here is a link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/paphoschat

I get the impression that the Cycle Lanes were all designed by somebody who has never ridden a bike.