After reading the report on The Plain junction improvements being branded a danger to cyclists, I felt compelled to write and air my views.

The Cyclists Touring Club (CTC) is probably condemning something I expect most of its members have never seen and are basing their facts on what Cyclox has told them.

The traffic system between St Giles and Paradise Square has needed improvements for a long time as this route is constantly gridlocked, mainly due to the traffic lights around Paradise Square and the fact that the other scourge of the city roads, buses, are given the facility to change these lights whenever they approach them.

Perhaps the CTC should come and spend 24 hours in the city to see what the cycling fraternity are really like.

I work in Oxford both days and nights and I have seen cyclists at night riding with no lights and wearing dark clothing, riding on the wrong side of the road, completely ignoring traffic lights on red, passing vehicles on the inside which are signalling to turn left when the cyclist is going straight on.

Today’s letters

This has happened several times to me turning left from Banbury Road into Parks Road.

Ignoring the stop signs on cycle tracks on the pavement: this is a frequent occurrence on the entrance to the University Science Area entrance opposite Keble College, where traffic is supposed to have the right of way. And if you say anything to them you either get a rude gesture or a mouthful of abuse. After most of the accidents involving cyclists it is the vehicle driver who is punished, but the cyclists is never punished for “cycling without due care and attention”, and nearly always it is the cyclists’ stupidity which causes these accidents?

Perhaps if a road tax was made compulsory for cyclists they would treat us motorists with a bit more respect and realise how difficult our life is in the city trying to avoid hitting them.

So come on CTC and Cyclox, before you start condemning what the city council has done to improve things, put your own house in order.

RAY HOLTON, Kingsclere Road, Bicester

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