Cyclists urged to be considerate and slow down along Derbyshire canal

Cyclists have been reported as going too fast along the Erewash Canal route, making it difficult for pedestrians.

The Canal and River Trust has launched an online campaign appealing for people riding bikes on the Erewash Canal towpath to take it easy and slow down.

The number of people using the towpath has increased by an average of more than 150 per cent over the past six months when compared to pre-lockdown levels.

With so many people heading to the canal as a place to keep active, clear their minds and get closer to nature the trust has launched the campaign to reminds all those visiting the nation’s canals to ‘Stay Kind, Slow Down’.

The campaign, which includes a short video and animation, will target social media posts at cyclists living in urban and busy areas along the canal network.

Phil Mulligan, regional director for the Canal and River Trust, said: “We know that the Erewash Canal has played a really important role this spring and summer during lockdown.

"It’s right on the doorstep of so many people and so was the perfect place to get out, stay local and discover this amazing wildlife corridor.

“It’s great to see the increase in people using the towpath and we want people to visit, including those on bikes.

"We welcome cycling on canal towpaths, which remain one of the safest traffic-free places to travel but they can be narrow and popular with others on foot so we just ask those on bikes to be considerate to pedestrians, boaters, families and others.

"Unfortunately, whilst most people are kind and courteous, we too often hear of people cycling too fast.”