Sir – Richard Bowen (Letters, July 14) complains that cyclists on Botley Road don’t use the cycle path on the pavement.

I would like to apologise if he’s been held up by cyclists who stay on the road (as is their right, by the way). The problem is caused by the two over-sized refuges, which mean there isn’t enough room for cars to safely overtake cyclists.

This can be put right by reducing the size of the two refuges, marking a cycle lane, and reducing the width of the turning lane slightly. Even better would be to have a bus lane, with only a token turning lane, because that would provide more of an alternative to driving.

The most efficient way to provide for cyclists (and to stop them obstructing cars) is to have cycle lanes on main roads for adults who can handle the traffic and quiet routes away from the traffic for those who want to avoid it — this is known as the dual network. The cycle path on Botley Road was an early attempt to provide both a fast and a quiet route together; it doesn’t work.

Richard Mann, Cyclox, Oxford