Puzzled cyclists have spoken of their bewilderment after a local council installed a bike lane – that’s barely wide enough to fit a bicycle down it.
The minuscule path at the side of a main road in Wigan, Greater Mancs, measures just two foot wide and isn’t even big enough to squeeze in a painting of a bicycle.
Local cyclists have branded it “laughable” and “dangerous”, with many making the point drivers will be able to get far too close to cyclists.
Cycling UK, a charitable organisation supporting cyclists, says the “absolute minimum” width a lane should be is 5ft and that 6.5ft is “preferred”.
The lane, on Newton Road, was put in place by Wigan Council, which claims it was actually an old one that workers recently been repainted.
Cyclist Jon Wyatt said: “I genuinely didn’t know these were cycle lanes until now. My shoulders are wider.
“Here’s a tip, if you can’t fit the bike picture in the lane, it’s not wide enough.”
Mr Wyatt added: “The safest solution would be to remove the lanes altogether.”
Wigan Council came under fire after images of the narrow lane for those on two wheels appeared on social media.
Riders said the route was lethal as drivers would be able to get too close to those cycling.
One social media user said: “If this the respect the council shows to cyclists what attitude do they expect drivers to have towards them?”
Another added: “This is very dangerous, my handlebars are wider than that.”
One person said: “People will end up riding on the pavement and be an inconvenience to pedestrians”
A official comment on the Cycle UK website says: “Anything less than 5ft deprives cyclists of road space and encourages traffic to pass too close.”
Mark Tilley, assistant director for infrastructure at Wigan Council, said: “As part of routine maintenance our contractor has recently refreshed the faded lines giving the appearance the mandatory lane is new.
“Standards of safety for cycle routes are now much higher and we are committed to providing the very best infrastructure to promote cycling and walking.”