I DON'T suppose Councillor Fred Slater, who called for a ban on canal towpath riders (LET April 15), cycles on it like other councillors do, including my family and myself.
I often cycle the towpath from Blackburn to Chorley and talk to people en route. I often stop and talk to the disabled fishermen at the Top Lock and they tell me the problems on the towpath.
The canal towpaths come under the National Cycleway and I meet plenty of elderly cyclists who use them at weekends. There are other cyclists who don't care about people walking on the towpath or people fishing.
One day, my wife was forced off the towpath by three cyclists who must have been doing 10 to 15mph.
The people fishing are not a danger. It is the cyclists who are speeding who are.
The biggest danger on the towpath is motorbikes which should be banned from using it. Whatever happened to the permit that a cyclist had to have to ride on the towpath?
Councillor Slater should walk the length of the canal before he tars all cyclists with the same brush and not penalise those who respect the towpath and others who use it.
B HOLLIDAY (Mr), Brecon Road, Blackburn.
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