Police Urge People To Stop Pedal Cycling

April 5, 2020

unnamed cycle policeNoting that “there has been increased pedal cycle activity seen on the roads today,” the police have reminded people “that pedal cycling is prohibited during the Shelter in Place as “exercise has been restricted to a half mile from your home on foot.”

The police posted on social media saying, “Good afternoon all, there has been increased pedal cycle activity seen on the roads today. We need to remind you that pedal cycling is prohibited during the 14 day ‘Shelter in Place’ period.

“Exercise has been restricted to a half mile from your home on foot. We also want remind you that the railway trails, parks and beaches are also off limits regardless of the fact that they are within a half mile of your residence.

“Rolling Advisory Checks are happening throughout the day. Unless you are an essential worker [heading to and from work] going to the grocery store, gas station or pharmacy, please stay at home.”

Police Commissioner Stephen Corbishley followed up with a tweet from his account saying, “I know there is flack over this and comments over killjoys etc, but to reaffirm the Emergency Powers regulations allow only a period of exercise on foot within 1/2 mile of home and no cycling. This is about stopping Covid-19 and we all have to put up and shut up on some things.”

He added, “Covid-19 is killing people across the world. The only way to stop this is to do dramatic things.”

The regulations state that during the Shelter in Place people can go “for a walk or run, alone or with one other member of the same household, for a maximum period of sixty minutes per day during the hours of 7am to 7pm only, remaining at all times within a distance of one kilometre [half a mile] from his home.”

While the police urging people to stop pedal cycling may sound unusual and would be wholly out of place under normal circumstances, it comes as the island has declared a State of Emergency in a bid to stop the spread of the pandemic which continues to impact nations around the world, with the global death toll climbing at a rate of thousands of people per day.

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As the island and world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, we are doing our best to provide timely and accurate information, and you can find more information on the links below.

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Comments (19)

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  1. sage says:

    Despite Corbishley’s “put up and shut up” remark I need to ask, is he saying you can’t ride a bicycle to the pharmacy or grocery store on your allotted day(s) either but you can drive or ride a motorbike? Or are bicycles not allowed for exercise only?

    • Boston Whaler Owner says:

      quit trying to be clever

    • Question says:

      Riding a bike is not allowed other than to go and get food.

  2. George Jones says:

    Cyclists can’t even work out that they need to stop at a red light so no surprises here

  3. cpm says:

    Quite agree
    Rules of the road do not apply to cyclists

  4. Bring_it says:

    So long fundamental rights, next they’re gonna tell us what to wear how to think and feel.

  5. Hmmm says:

    Ok… no better place to exercise than on the railway trail…. so I need to now walk my dog down the main road ( even though I have to walk across the railway trail to get to the road!!)

  6. cpm says:

    Agreed
    They never follow the rules of the road

  7. Lance says:

    Since cycling is the only way I am able get a cardio workout what difference will it make if I do 1 km laps for an hour on a bike. If I can only shop on certain days I’d be happy to use the same criterium for cycling. I have to carry ID anyway so the powers can check if I have crossed the boundary line. Since you rarely see tandems then social distancing is not an issue and it would help me stay healthy.As for George just stand at Paget lights and see how many cars & bikes run the red light.

    • trufth says:

      “since you rarely see tandems…” Are you kidding me?

      What’s the word for “6 cyclists in a clump holding up lines and lines of traffic”?

  8. Simple maths says:

    1 km does not equal have a mile. So which is it ?

  9. George says:

    Not sure I understand the logic here?! Why can you walk/run up to a half mile away from your home but you can’t cycle a half mile from your home?

    • Joy says:

      The rationales, such as they are, are

      a) less chance of an accident that would create contact, require contact, or send you (or anyone else) to the hospital, and

      b) if there’s an accident or other contact incident, it’s in a very constrained geographic location.

      Same reason people are reminding each other to be more careful with knives, power tools, standing on a chair. Rare accidents are not rare enough, under current circumstances.

      I imagine if you’re in shopping clothes with panniers and bags and face mask, not stripped down road bike and lycra, you’ll be seen as “biking” (transportation) not “cycling” (exercise) but YMMV.

  10. cpm says:

    cyclists do not obey any of the rules of the road

  11. Honestly says:

    Ok, all good n all. That’s cool. Keep them people coming in on these flights overseas. Let their families send them money. All it will do is make outbreak worst. Customs officers, military, bus drivers and so on at risk. Then what?

  12. BPS says:

    “Police urging people to stop pedal cycling … in a bid to stop the spread of the pandemic…”
    I would like to know how pedal cycling within a half mile of one’s residence assists in spreading the pandemic any more than walking or running?

  13. Bond says:

    Is there any update on Cycling situation OR this is still prohibited? It is quite difficult to understand the logic. Why cant the govt make a cyclists rule as well similar to groceries one.

  14. Po po says:

    Ok so I am poor and only transport I had is my mountain bike and bus but now no bus so I can’t use my bike to go to the store on my shopping day? That’s just be discrimination against us poor people l I am going to keep riding my bike and kick me up if you want! I can’t afford the FINE either