Britain has introduced a 15mph speed limit on a bike lane for the first time.
Cambridge, the cycling capital of the UK, has introduced a speed limit on one of the city’s most popular routes.
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Cambridgeshire County Council said the move was in response to concerns of cyclists travelling at “excessive speeds”.
Permanent speed limits will apply to two shared-use paths which run along the city’s 16-mile “guided busway”.
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The shared path is not split unlike many others – resulting in walkers, cyclists and horse riders sharing one space.
The council was forced to pay out a £6million fine last year for health and safety breaches, including the deaths of Jennifer Taylor, Steven Moir, and Kathleen Pitts on the route.
Locals of the town have largely welcomed the change.
One medical student told The Telegraph he had seen “half a dozen” incidents on the busy bike path.
And Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former leader of the Conservative Party, said the speed limit was “great news” after campaigning for harsher laws against reckless cyclists.
“Mingling pedestrians and bicycles can be dangerous but often-arrogant cyclists should be aware they now face the full weight of the law if they fail to obey the rules of the road,” he said.
But some are already skirting the restrictions – one cyclists said “good luck enforcing it” as he rode past.
“Look, I’m going 16 miles per hour,” he said.
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Another said the limit was “ridiculous” – before speeding down the busway.
The restrictions will be enforced by a dedicated police patrol unit and a “busway safety team”.
Speed monitoring equipment will also be used to catch those “clearly exceeding the limit”.
Multiple placards with QR codes to encourage locals to report “antisocial behaviour and criminality on the busway” to the police.
The city’s e-bikes – operated by Voi – are capped at 15mph, but authorities have become concerned of rising antisocial behaviour on the route.
Those who breach the limit will be stopped by enforcement officers and advised to slow down, with repeat offenders facing fines.
Cambridge became the first city to open a “cycle street” in May, although it has recently closed for maintenance.
A council spokesman said: “The speed limits have been introduced to help keep all users of the path which runs alongside the busway safe,” adding that the council would monitor its “effectiveness”.
A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: “Speeding in this area has been recognised as an issue and work is ongoing to tackle it for local residents.
“Officers are being given dedicated time to patrol the area in question and we are working with partners to tackle the issues and enforce the speed limit,” they added.
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