Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to reduce incidents of cyclists mounting and cycling on pavements.

Cycling on the pavement is an offence under Section 72 of the Highways Act 1835 and illegal cycling on pavements causes much concern especially to our most vulnerable pedestrians, such as elderly, disabled and visually impaired people.

The number of offenders sentenced to a fine at all courts for offences related to cycling, in England and Wales, from 2010/11 to the period from April to December 2015 can be viewed in the attached table on fines for cycling offences. Data for 2016, including finalised data for Quarter 1, is planned for publication in May 2017. It is not possible to establish whether or not an indictable offence involved a cyclist without checking case files at the courts concerned. This can only be done at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office collects data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences only and these data are published by the Home Office in the annual ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ publication. Data on fixed penalty notices issued to cyclists are not held centrally.

This Government supports any action taken by the police to deter and reduce the number of cycling offences. The enforcement of the offence of cycling on the pavement is an operational matter for Chief Officers of police, as determined locally and based on local priorities.