One-way street rules are changing for cyclists

Cyclists will be legally entitled to ignore no-entry signs on thousands of one-way streets around the country if a trial in London proves successful.

The Department for Transport will change existing road signs around the London borough of Kensington & Chelsea by attaching a small plate that reads ‘Except cyclists’ to the poles carrying the red and white no-entry symbol.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The idea of contra-flows for cyclists can seem counter intuitive, but it is important to remember that many of our roads are not cyclist friendly – a situation that needs to be redressed if we are to encourage this environmentally benign form of transport.”

Cycling organisations have suggested that it might be necessary to reduce the speed limit to 20mph on some roads with contra-flow lanes to avoid the risk that cyclists will feel intimidated by oncoming traffic.

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