Safer streets in HOP (stopping illegal motorcycle shortcuts)

Hello all,
If you’re sick of motorcyclists taking dangerous, illegal shortcuts through the pedestrian/bike-only junctions around Honor Oak Park, please read on…

A few of us have set up a Twitter account - @saferSE23 - to let the businesses behind the majority of these riders know that they need to take responsibility for keeping our roads safe. There’s no need to take dangerous, illegal short cuts that put pedestrians, children and cyclists at risk.

Please share your reports with times and pics if you can. We’ll be tagging Uber Eats, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Just Eat and co, as well as local councillors and police.

https://twitter.com/SaferSe23

Great idea. Could this account be used to also shame speeding vans of corporations?

Thanks! And sure, this definitely sounds like it fits with what we’re trying to do, which is get businesses to take responsibility for their drivers. Happy to retweet posts if you’ve seen something.

I hate to be a pedant, but are you sure they are illegal?

Apparently some elements of the Highway Code are legally binding. If you’re keen to delve into the handbook and find out whether violating this particular rule is illegal or not, then do let us know.
Pedantry aside, hopefully you’ll agree that keeping our roads safe is the most important thing here. The ‘no motorised vehicles’ sign is designed to prevent cars and motorcycles entering or exiting from a junction. If they do so when pedestrians and cyclists aren’t expecting to see them - especially at speed - then it’s not good for anyone.

A quick update for @Moto_Hodder:

Not wishing to distract from getting the message about our new @SaferSE23 Twitter account out there, it seems red, circular road signs - like the one for no motorised vehicles - must be adhered to in order to stay within the law. That’s according to the RAC’s information about the Highway Code listed here: https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/learning-to-drive/the-highway-code-uk-road-signs-and-meanings/

To quote: “Circular road signs: Circular signs give orders - they must be followed to stay within the law. Circles with a red border tell you what you must not do (i.e. take a U-turn). Blue circles usually give a positive instruction, such as ‘turn left ahead’.”

Of course prosecution is extremely unlikely, and it’s not the aim of @SaferSE23 either. What we hope to do is inspire the companies behind local delivery riders to take responsibility, and ensure their people use the roads more safely, in line with the signs.

[Edited to add: I’ve just looked at your profile and see you’re a lobbyist for the motorcycle industry so you must know all this already and actually I feel a bit silly for replying now! Ah well, it’d be great to have your input if you are also keen to help keep the roads around here a bit safer?]

I think my point is that where there aren’t any signs, then I don’t believe an offence has been committed.

I cycle through some quite regularly and I know they recently added a sign to the one on Garthorne Road, but from the looks of it, it isn’t retro reflective and not 450mm either so probably not enforceable. Someone could easily miss it in the dark, especially if they’re in a hurry. More so if they are keen to ignore it.

Thanks, good to know.
We have been in touch with Lewisham who promised (back in February ) that they’d get the red circular signs in place where they’re currently missing (such as Grierson Rd/Garthorne Rd and Gabriel St/Bovill Rd). We’ve chased and still nothing. Any suggestions or contacts you can share to get things moving would be very welcome.
Hopefully calling out the companies whose drivers are recklessly speeding and putting people at risk might encourage them to take some action to stop it.

Just to be clear, even though the red circular signs are not yet in place the blue circular ones are in place at the junctions around HOP.
These are the ones that are being sped through and ignored by motorcyclists, as they are to be used by pedal cycles only. Our local delivery drivers need to adhere to the rules of the road to keep us all safer.

As I said, “where there isn’t a sign”… Obviousily, where there is, an offence has been committed.

Some positive news: local councillor Tauseef Anwar has joined our little crusade. He’s also keen to get clear signs in place ASAP.