Like motorists, cyclists must respect the highway code. However, many of them ignore this obvious rule.
Scooters, bikes, pedestrians, cars, motorbikes… On the street, we all have to deal with each other. Everyone has rights and obligations, but it is sometimes difficult to find your way around, and sharing the road is not always easy! The space for cars is getting smaller and smaller, as cycle paths and bus lanes are springing up. As for pedestrians, they have to be extra vigilant with bikes and scooters whizzing by. The pedestrian crossing is, as its name suggests, reserved for pedestrians (just like the sidewalk). However, it is not uncommon to see cyclists perched on their bikes crossing at these reserved areas. But do they have the right to do so?
As confirmed by Road Safety, on this point, the highway code is very clear: “Cyclists are considered pedestrians when they are hand-riding their bicycles. They may therefore use pedestrian crossings in this way. Only children under the age of eight may cycle on pavements, at walking pace and without causing any inconvenience to pedestrians.“. In summary, a cyclist can cross at a pedestrian crossing if he is not on his bike! He is therefore obliged to walk with his bike in his hand, taking care of the pedestrians around him. The pedestrian remains the undisputed king of the pedestrian crossing. Refusing priority will cost the recalcitrant motorist 135 euros and 6 points removed from his driving license. A fine to which cyclists are also exposed.
The cyclist is therefore required to ride on the road, but there are, however, special situations where bicycles and pedestrians must coexist in the same space. In the presence of specific signage, certain trajectories are dedicated to cyclists, in the current section as well as at intersections, in particular next to pedestrian crossings. To do this, they must refer to the markings on the road: bicycle figures, arrows, double chevrons or a combination of these different elements.
“In this case, cyclists can stay on their bikes and then ride along the pedestrian crossing. They must, however, stop when the pedestrian light is red and cross the intersection at the green pedestrian light.“, Road Safety tells us. But be careful, if cyclists can in this case stay on their bikes and go along the pedestrian crossing, they must stop when the pedestrian light is red and cross the intersection at the green pedestrian light.