In September 2009 we reported that PCC had agreed to introduce two-way cycling on new one-way roads in the city. This came about in large part as a result of lobbying from Portsmouth Cycle Forum. The DfT’s rules have meant that the council has had to either use elaborate engineering measures and create a dedicated contraflow cycle lane at the entry point to the one-way street or use ‘no motor vehicles’ signs. However, it is often claimed that motorists do not understand what the ‘flying motorcycle’ means. You may have noticed some of the new one-way roads with two-way access for cycles in Oxford Road, Mariners Walk and Ringwood Road.

At the time that we reported the PCC decision, the Government was conducting a trial use of ‘no entry’ with the ‘except cyclist’ plate (as they have in other European Countries) in Kensington and Chelsea.  As a result of the success of that trial, according to London Cycling Campaign (LCC) -  ‘a change to the DfT’s signing rules will make it easier for councils to allow cyclists to travel in both directions along streets that have been converted to one-way’.  So the rule that prevents PCC from simply adding an ‘except cyclists’ plate to existing ‘No Entry’ signs is expected to be removed in 2011. This is great news and will allow the easier and less expensive retro-fitting of both existing one-way roads as well as new one-ways.