• SOME of the remarks in John Gulliver’s piece (Thoughts from our spokesman, August 17) may or may not have been intended to provoke discussion; but as far as I am concerned they just provoke anger.

With all the correspondence you receive from pedestrians and motorists you must be fully aware of the contempt both sides have for the average cyclist.

Riding through red lights is now the norm, as is riding on the pavement when it suits them; likewise showing contempt for other street users.

As for the “stop boxes” at traffic lights, how many cyclists actually observe them? Most either ignore the lights, or stop beyond the furthest white line in a desperate attempt to get away, while delivery motor cyclists, the newest and most contemptible race of road users, have no concern for anyone but themselves, weaving in and out dangerously, and sometimes even frightening the motorist.

Full marks to Maria Sullivan on her biting comments about Mike Van Erp, (Look at fellow cyclists as well, Letters, August 24).

He is a total hypocrite talking about motorists jumping red lights when his fellow cyclists do it all the time, and on pavements and with no lights often at night.

Instead of his sickening constant promotion of cycling, it is about time he and Cllr Adam Harrison showed some concern for the daily law-breaking by cyclists and started prosecution action for all the hundreds of offenders every day with a major poster campaign emphasising pavements are for pedestrians and illegal for cyclists.

Likewise riding without lights at night or dusk is not only stupid and dangerous but is a criminal offence and can be frightening to motorists and pedestrians.

Even in some lit streets one can suddenly appear, and a pedestrian injured or nearly knocked down by one because they cannot be seen quickly.

And the new ruling about motorists giving a wide berth to cyclists is only safe and practical if the selfish morons who ride two abreast, even on narrow roads, give way.

Next time perhaps you could run a supplement on pedestrians, emphasising their rights, particularly the dangers to elderly and disabled people, and question what the police and
Cllr Harrison propose to do about the constant law-breaking; and give examples of pedestrians injured by said morons riding on the pavement.

JOHN STRATTON
Thurlow Road, NW3