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To book a table ring Jim Hatton
01425 280 889
Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2010-04-24
End Time: 14:00

CTC believes Crozier’s assertion that posties on bikes violate health and safety regulations is untrue. Mr Crozier’s comment that the increasing weights of postal deliveries necessitates new delivery technologies ignores the potential to use cargo bicycles and tricycles, already used in other European countries and by courier companies in Britain – for instance DHL and FedEx.

CTC opposes any moves by Royal Mail to stop cycle deliveries, and instead would like to see cargo bikes and tricycles used to deliver larger weights of post.

Please take action by writing to Royal Mail’s future chief executive (as yet unnamed).  Please fill out our form, which will automatically generate a letter.  Then you can edit, print and send it to CTC’s national office.  We will collect the letters and deliver them in one load by cargo bike to Royal Mail’s headquarters on the new chief executive’s first day of work.

Please personalise your letter by mentioning at least one of the following reasons for reversing Royal Mail’s plan to phase out cycles:

•    Road safety: this plan would have dire implications for road safety by replacing cycles with vans.  As the number of vehicles increases, our roads become less safe for cyclists.  Royal Mail is legally obligated to protect the health and safety not just of its workers, but of the general public.  It appears that they have failed to recognise this when citing health and safety as the reason behind this decision.
•    Environmental: in order for the government to meet its commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, it must take concrete steps to address the emissions from road transport.  As an organisation owned largely by the government, Royal Mail should be committed to working towards that goal, and replacing bicycles with vans will not help.
•    The government’s Active Travel Strategy: increasing cycling safety is a goal of the government’s new Active Travel Strategy, which government bodies such as Royal Mail should uphold.  It is possible that the government may change, but the commitments of these policies are so important to our nation’s future that they will likely stay.

Take action!

We are continuing to get many emails of suppport for our campaign, thank you to all of you. Sorry we couldn’t reply individually to you all. We are featured again in this month’s Western Wards Gazette so we are anticipating that this will generate further support.

As you know we believe that cyclists have a right to use the path, through long established use. We met with officials from Hampshire County Council earlier this week to determine the best way to get our rights recognised and are investigating a number of options:

1. Statutory designation of the path as a restricted byway
2. Common Law recognition of the right for cyclists to use the path
3. Designation of the path as a cycle track under the Cycle Tracks Act 1984

All of the above will take time. A quicker approach may be to seek a voluntary designation of all or part of the path, but this would require agreement from the landowners. We have been contacting landowners along the route and so far they have been very supportive – there is only one that we know of who is opposed to cyclists using the path and he also seems to be against joggers and pushchair users!

The council officers are at the moment gathering information about the route. This includes the views of the local landowners and the history of cycling the route as shown by the user evidence forms. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET COMPLETED A USER EVIDENCE FORM PLEASE DO SO and send to the Rights Of Way department in HCC.

We are also gathering what other information we can and passing it on to HCC. Related to this there was once a building along or near the path called “Captain’s Cottage”. Does anyone know where this was?

For all those who are continuing to cycle along the path can I ask you to please show consideration to other users. The last thing we want at the moment is to antagonise any of the local landowners or pedestrians who are currently being very supportive.
Also if any of you are challenged or anyone tries to obstruct or prevent you from cycling (or jogging) would you please let us know?

Thank you again for your support,

CATS

I will be at Somerstown Fire station in Somers Road North , opposite Somers Park Primary School, breaking and making bikes on the following dates.

Anyone who wants to come along and help or get involved or recycle a bike or just stand around and make jokes (tea perhaps) please feel free.

I will be there from 10am to 2pm, lunch is provided for productive workers.

Alternate Saturdays
9th January
23rd January
6th February
20th February
6th March

I am really in need of people with bike maintenance skills and any of the trained people would be fantastic.
Although all interest will be appreciated even if you only know someone that would like to recycle a bike of their own or you want to use some tool to try and learn about bikes by taking one apart….

Any questions contact me below
Thanks and regards
Jayne

Jayne Rodgers
Sustainable Transport Officer
Traffic Safety and Sustainable Transport Group Civic Offices
PO1 2NE
023 9283 4590
FAX: 023 9283 4214
jayne.rodgers@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
www.portsmouth.gov.uk

But we do not want just one day of celebration and then a return to “normal” life. When people get out of their cars, they should stay out of their cars. It is up to us, it is up to our cities, and our governments to help create permanent change to benefit pedestrians, cyclists, and other people who do not drive cars.

Let World Carfree Day be a showcase for just how our cities might look like, feel like, and sound like without cars…365 days a year.

As the climate heats up, World Carfree Day is the perfect time to take the heat off the planet, and put it on city planners and politicians to give priority to cycling, walking and public transport, instead of to the automobile.

So take the time, browse the links and resources provided, and join in on the celebrations!

http://www.worldcarfree.net/wcfd/

Just maybe Bike Burglar or someone in the know will see this letter and have their conscience touched. As with most cyclists, Gerry’s bikes mean much more to him than the money they may fetch – they are an extension of him and his means of transport.

A full description of the bikes can be seen at www.southamptoncyclingcampaign.org.uk but please look out for them.

• Bike 1 is a ‘Fort’ black road bike
• Bike 2 is a ‘Scott’ red, black & silver mountain bike
• Bike 3 is a ‘Trek’ green & silver hybrid bike

You can return the bikes to Gerry directly or to a local Police Station but do tell them the burglary address or the bikes may never get back to him. As a reward for their return, I am offering a National Standard road cycling skills two lessons course with no questions asked.

Dilys Gartside – Nationally Accredited Cycling Instructor
CycleWise ‘change your travel habits’
t. 023 8077 7472
http://www.cyclewisesouthampton.co.uk/