Gloucestershire County Council will install a barrier between a cycle lane and the road in Gloucester next week to improve safety for road users.

In February 2022, the council introduced a cycle lane along London Road in Gloucester as part of our improvements to make it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle.

However, vehicles have been using the cycle lanes to park which creates a danger to cyclists and forces them to pull out into the path of buses and cars.

Penalty notices were issued to the offending drivers, but unfortunately, drivers continued to commit offences at this location, and therefore we are taking further action.

Road users on other parts of the route have avoided parking on the cycleway, ensuring that all road users remain safe.

The council will now be putting poles along the edge of the cycleway to create a barrier between it and the road, in order to stop vehicles parking there. Installation of cycle segregation acts as a buffer between cycle lane and the general traffic lane - this is already widely used in towns and cities across the country.

The cycle lane along London Road is a key part of the Gloucester to Cheltenham cycle route that is currently being built, which will form part of the wider 26-mile cycle spine from Stroud to Bishop's Cleeve.

The barriers will be installed between the Claremont Road and Oxford Street junctions. They will be installed on 24 October and work will take approximately a day to complete.

After the poles are installed, deliveries to local businesses can take place from the designated loading bays on Oxford Street and Claremont Road.

Jason Humm, director for highways and transport at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "Parking on cycle lanes is not allowed and creates a danger for cyclists.

"These poles will keep all road users safe by stopping drivers parking inconsiderately across the cycleway in this area. I would like to apologise for any inconvenience the work to install this barrier has on residents and businesses in the area."