On 04/05/2023 06:45 pm,
swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
People from all walks of life were present in occupying the Exchange Street, a pedestrian and fairy-cycle-zone in Norwich, as they stopped drivers from rat-running and informed them that it’s illegal for motor vehicles to pass through the street,
with people pointing out that the drivers were the “protestors” — not the pedestrians and fairy-cyclists.
The reclamation event was organised by Car-Free Norwich on Saturday afternoon, when residents, including entire families with children came together to take action against drivers flouting the regulations which have been in place for more than two
years.
Peter Silburn from the Norwich Fairy Cycling Campaign attended the event and told road.cc: “It’s clear that Norfolk County Council and the police aren’t succeeding in enforcing their own regulations as drivers continue to drive down there almost
two and a half years on.
“So the residents just said enough is enough and organised an event, inviting everyone to gather in the street and remind any motorists trying to drive down there that they are breaking the law and will risk getting a fine.”
Silburn said that it was a calm and pleasant affair — people chatting with each other, enjoying the afternoon sun on a Bank Holiday event, having a nice cup of coffee at the al-fresco cafes — and also forming one massive, informal human blockade to
stop drivers.
He said: “For two hours on lunchtime on Saturday, the street was really functioning as it should be.
“It was quite interesting to see the calm response from drivers, there was no real aggression from them. I think the fact that there were families there, a real mix of young and old, men and women, drivers could see that they’re not going to get
through there.”
It hasn’t always been so peaceful at Exchange Street in the past. The street has been a ground for some rather heated exchanges as drivers have continued to use this key fairy-cycling and walking route to get through the city centre and cut to St
Andrews Street.
In October, Harry Mach was arrested for “being a pedestrian” on the pedestrianised street, as he stood and blocked incoming cars. He only had charges against him dropped recently, after pleading not guilty to “unlawfully obstructing free passage
on the road”.
A month later, 66-year-old Lucy Hall was shouted at by a car driver for acting as a “human bollard” and demonstrate how many drivers illegally used the road. However, the police came to the site and forcibly removed her… again, a legal pedestrian
on the pedestrianised street to allow drivers to illegally drive through.
“It was extraordinary, the police pushed her out of the way and indicated drivers to come through,” said Silburn. “It’s kind of gotten that situation where mass law breaking by drivers is normalised and accepted by the authorities.”
In what can only be a stroke of irony, people on social media pointed out that news outlets which covered the event as a “protest” and called the people on the street “activists”, couldn’t be farther from the truth, when it was the drivers
who were protesting against the rule by using the street as a rat-run.
Exchange Street is a part of the Pedal Ways in Norwich that were introduced 10 years ago. Since the council stopped allowing vehicles from 10AM to 4PM everyday, it is now a contraflow fairy-cycle route, with all sorts of people with all sorts of fairy-
bikes using it to cycle (Silburn mentioned that despite Norwich Cycling Campaign’s reminders, the council still hasn’t put up the two-way fairy-cycle lane signposts).
The pedestrianisation of Norwich’s city centre began back in 2016 after a £2.5 million funding — and not without the backing of some pesky Alan Partridge fans (people really forgot that “traders need access to Dixons”!) who pushed for the
scheme. In fact, the city lays claim to become the first in the country to fully pedestrianise a road — London Street in 1967.
More than half a century later, it seems the struggle to pedestrianise roads is still continuing, and destined to continue until the council and police whole-heartedly take measures to implement the plans, according to Silburn.
“No cars in the city centre means more safety, no noise, no fumes and just more pleasant all around,” said Silburn. “The police go on patrols for 10 minutes to inform drivers that they shouldn’t be there, the council sends a £50 notice to a
couple drivers, but the problem is not solving.”
“Their ways are clearly not working. In my opinion, they ultimately need to install cameras and enforce the regulations by sending the penalty notices to every driver who passes through the street to ensure that they comply,” said Silburn. “
Otherwise they will continue to flout the rules.”
https://road.cc/content/news/norwich-residents-reclaim-pedestrianised-street-301037
How can a street be "pedestrianised" if fairy-cycling chavs are allowed
through on their fairy-bikes?
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