Speed and dangerous e-bikes on Canal Towpath, & other paths shared by pedestrians and e-bikes and bicycles

[J Dyson]

Dear James Fry and Katherine Miles, and Canal & River Trust,

 

I am very concerned about the rapidly increasing numbers of fast e-bikes on the Oxford Canal Towpath – esp. of the heavy cargo bike type – often ridden by Deliveroo and other delivery riders – and on other PATHS SHARED by PEDESTRIANS & BICYCLES,e.g. the ramped path over the footbridge from Aristotle Lane over the railway to Port Meadow. As a daily dog-walker, I am meeting more and more e-bikes moving fast on both these paths. I have witnessed a number of near-misses as fast e-bikes whizz past pedestrians, including past me. I mention e-bikes, but of course all fast bikes on these shared paths are a menace to pedestrians, wheelchair users, people with pushchairs, and wildlife. I have seen this problem at many points along the canal towpath, not just near Hayfield Road where I live, and on other shared-user paths.

 

I think there also seems to be a growing number of illegal ‘twist and go’ throttle bikes (which can be propelled without pedalling) on the towpath and other shared paths – but they go past so fast it’s difficult to work out if they are the legal or illegal type! They are usually black, and very tough-looking, heavy-duty bikes. They terrify my dog, and frighten me.

 

Some questions:

1)     E-scooters are banned from tow-paths; but as legal e-bikes (i.e. bikes where the electrical assistance cuts off when it reaches 15.5mph / 25kmph) are not banned from towpaths, is the current recommended speed-advice adequate to help control them and ordinary fast bicycles? i.e. to “use common sense” and to seek an “alternative route” if you’re “in a hurry”? (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/things-to-do/cycling/cycling-faqs#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20speed%20limit,should%20use%20an%20alternative%20route.)

 

2)     Could more notices be put up encouraging all bikes – e-bikes and ordinary bikes – to slow down? – especially around bridges?

 

I am also very concerned for Nature / Wildlife. One example is at the entrance to the Trap Grounds Nature Reserve in OX2. The adult swans, cygnets and ducks often waddle slowly over the towpath from the Trap Grounds lake to the canal, and many of the e-bikes come fast southwards under Frenchay Road Bridge, and the riders cannot see these slow-moving creatures, as well as small children, slow-moving vulnerable adults and so on till it is/could be too late.

 

Similarly, today another regular dog-walker told me how she sees e-bikes dangerously emerging, fast, from under Elizabeth Jennings Bridge on the towpath, where the riders can't see small children, dogs and others emerging from the Green there onto the towpath. She too has become increasingly worried by this.

 

Could you look into this growing problem? Thank you.

 

Yours sincerely, Julie Dyson, 27 Hayfield Rd, OX2 6TX

PS I researched the current situation re. speed on towpaths and found this, on the Canal and River Trust website:

Why isn't there a speed limit on towpaths?

Most people use common sense and take it easy on towpaths, so we don't think that speed limits are necessary. As all towpaths are different it wouldn't be possible or make sense to apply a blanket speed limit and as cycles do not have speedometers like cars do so it wouldn't be possible to enforce a speed limit.

What is a legal e-bike?

A legal e-bike is one that meets EAPC (electrically assisted pedal cycle) regulations and has not been modified in anyway. It must come with a pedal-assist motor and have a maximum power output of 250 watts. The electrical assistance must cut off when it reaches 15.5mph / 25kmph, and it cannot be ridden by anyone under the age of 14. For clarity if you have an electric bike with a ‘twist and go' throttle (that can be propelled without pedalling) this is NOT a legal e-bike, it is not allowed on towpaths and can be confiscated by the police if done so.

Why aren't e-scooters allowed on towpaths?

It's not currently legal to ride an e-scooter in any public place, except for where rental trails are being held. We've not allowed any trails to take place on towpaths. We issued this statement on e-scooters in 2020 This makes it clear that e-scooters are prohibited under our bylaws and that we will not be allowing e-scooters to be used on towpaths unless it can be proved that it is safe to do so. As yet, we have not seen such evidence.

[J Dyson]

Dear James, 

Many thanks for your reply and for your prompt action. I too have contacted CRT with the same information.

Best wishes, 

Julie

On Mon, 19 May 2025 at 17:59, Councillor FRY James <cllr...@oxford.gov.uk> wrote:

Dear Julie,

Thanks for this cri de coeur. I share your concern and now normally opt to cycle home from the station by road, instead of the towpath, which is narrower than the now normal width to the North of Walton Well Road.

Since I cannot imagine that the police will take any action, I will start by forwarding your message to my contacts at CART to ask for their response about enforcing their own rules. I will let you know when I hear back from them.

Best wishes,

James

Dr James Fry,

Oxfordshire County Councillor for Summertown and Walton Manor Division,

and Oxford City Councillor for Walton Manor Ward,

7 Rawlinson Road

Oxford OX2 6UE

Ph: 01865 554001 and 0798 000 8226

Emails: james...@gmail.com, cllr...@oxford.gov.uk, jame...@oxfordshire.gov.uk

---

From: J Dyson <27bobb...@gmail.com>
Sent: 19 May 2025 16:20
To: Councillor MILES Katherine <cllrk...@oxford.gov.uk>; Councillor FRY James <cllr...@oxford.gov.uk>
Cc: Catherine Robinson <cmrobins...@gmail.com>; Hayfield Road <hayfie...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Speed and dangerous e-bikes on Canal Towpath, & other paths shared by pedestrians and e-bikes and bicycles

 

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[James Harrison]

Well done Julie

I totally support you on this issue (I do occasionally cycle (slowly) to Wolvercote and back from Trap Grounds bridge.

James

James Harrison | Self Publishing Provider | Oxfordfolio |46 Hayfield Road | Oxford OX2 6TU | Tel 01865 552324 M 0785 550 4708 | www.oxfordfolio.co.uk

 

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[Rosanne Bostock]

I agree I can neither hear nor see them with th ease . Walking o. Towpath is now dangerous unfortunately . My friend polly fried off was killed last year I. Iffley canal path . It has got worse and on port meadow ‘ Rosanne . It’s going to be hard to enforce .   There are bicycles on pavements in Oxford and summer

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On 19 May 2025, at 18:11, J Dyson <27bobb...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Dima Pasechnik]

Dear all,

I can point out that the only real fix here would be to make a proper, 2-lane commuter bicycle path to relieve the Canal path North of Oxford Station up to Waterways; it can follow Rewley Rd, and then a wide, currently closed to the public, service road along the railroad tracks, to end in Stone Meadow.

Dima, x#22, now across the pond :-(

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[cindyly...@gmail.com]

Dear all, 

As a (slow!)  e-bike rider, I wanted to point out that legal e-bikes in the UK cannot have a motor over 250 watts; and must have a motor that cuts out when the bike reaches 15.5 mph. Unfortunately, it is apparently very easy to get a device online that ‘unlocks’ the cut-out mechanism and allows for higher speeds, and I do agree that these versions of e-bikes are very dangerous. They are also  illegal unless they have been registered as mopeds (and the rider has the required license, helmet, insurance, etc). 

It is in fact easier to go faster on a manual bike than on a legal e-bike if you are strong enough, which means we have to be careful about making this too focussed on e-bikes because we will miss the Tour de France hopefuls who are racing dangerously down the road and towpath.. But I do think some vigilance regarding the legality of the motors on e-bikes is in need, just not sure which part of the state has the resources to look into that now. 

Cindy 

[Catherine Robinson]

Hi Julie. At a civic event held jointly with the CRT in Aristotle Lane today, I took the opportunity to brief Katherine Miles (our City Councillor) about the risk posed to swans and cygnets by bicycles speeding on the towpath near the Frenchay Road bridge. Her response was positive -- she immediately googled for suitable signage on her phone found a possible model (see below) and offered to fund it from her discretionary budget - provided that the CRT would allow it to be erected on their land. So I introduced her to Ros Daniells, the Regional Director of the CRT, who was present at the event and shared the concern once I'd explained it. Long story short: they now have each other's email address, and I hope they will take the matter forward between them. But it would help if you were to contact Katherine yourself, to give her a nudge. (She also mentioned that Oxford Direct Services have their own in-house signage designer, who could be commissioned to make a suitable sign.)

Good wishes,

Catherine R.

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[CL Skach]

It’s lovely, and glad that the swans are getting such a positive reaction; but maybe the sign could have a swan, a small child and an elderly person as well?

Cindy 

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[Catherine Robinson]

Yes, that would be even better, Cindy. Perhaps Julie could suggest that to Katherine Miles? -- CR