WHILE I do not condone the riding of bikes in busy pedestrianised areas, there is another view.

I use cyclepaths wherever possible but have to admit I ride my bike on quiet footways, giving way to pedestrians; I prefer to risk a £30 fine than my life on the carriageway, where drivers cut you up. How often do you hear of a pedestrian seriously injured by a cyclist?

Furthermore, a serious injury places a heavy financial burden on the taxpayer and the over-stretched health service, as well as loss of earnings and distress to families.

Where there are combined footpaths and cycletracks, I encounter pedestrians, dog walkers and pushchairs on the cycletrack. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander!

GT HEATH

Shaw, Swindon