Footpaths not for bicycles, scooters

I am alarmed by the Active Mobility Advisory Panel’s recommendation that footpaths should be shared among pedestrians, cyclists and battery-operated scooter users, who tend to speed (“Allow bicycles and e-scooters on footpaths, says panel, but within limits”; March 18).

While the healthy lifestyle and environmental benefits of cycling are beyond dispute, shared footpaths would not be the way to achieve them.

Just as cyclists are fearful of sharing the roads with vehicles, the impact of a collision between a person taking a stroll and another on a bicycle or motorised scooter can be dire, too.

If cyclists value their lives, pedestrians can say the same with some justification. Many seniors and young families have taken to walking as part of keeping fit, family bonding and doing their bit for the environment, too.

I have nothing against cyclists, but cycling has to be safe for everyone concerned. A footpath is used, as its name suggests, by people on foot. A pedestrian should have the right to enjoy walking without the fear of being knocked down or startled by the sudden, shrill ringing of a bicycle bell from behind.

If cyclists lament the lack of dedicated cycle paths, they should lobby for that, rather than share the footpaths with pedestrians and endanger lives.

If the elderly are knocked down, they could suffer fractures that render them bed-bound or suffer from a serious head injury. So, the policy decision on footpaths must not be made lightly.