17/07/2012 00:00
TW
0

Palma.—Since the start of this month, officers on the beat have been fining cyclists who continue to career wildly across squares, parks and pavements meant for the sole use of pedestrians, but the perception of the Local Police is that the majority of cyclists remain ignorant of new bylaws controlling what can and can't be done on a bicycle in Palma . “Either that,” said a police spokesman yesterday, “or people simply aren't taking the risk of a fine very seriously.” When the cycling restrictions were passed by the City Council at the end of April this year, it was agreed that a trial period would operate whereby police would caution cyclists breaking the new code rather than fine them on the spot. In addition, leaflets were distributeded for public information, letting citizens know of the new legislation.

As at last Monday, 26 cyclists had been stopped and their identity taken by officers for having broken what is now municipal law.
Social harmony
What is clear, said the spokesman, is that the relations between cyclists and pedestrians using the same public spaces don't appear to have improved much.

He said that people should use common sense and respect the rights and safety of others.
He said there was little evidence of this social harmony, with both sides claiming to have the law on their side.
The spokesman claimed that having observed public behaviour, neither cyclists nor pedestrians appear to be intimidated by one another with citizens having widely different views of how pavements, square and parks in the city should be used.