CYCLISTS are incensed at the lack of provision for cyclists at a busy junction.

A protest was staged by a cycling group who believe that works being carried out to improve the junction of the A38 and M5 is not properly taking into account the needs of cyclists.

Ten cyclists have been injured on the junction in the last seven years and members of CTC Right to Ride – a national cycling charity – have criticised the lack of improvements for cyclists.

South Gloucestershire Council is redesigning the junction to alleviate the projected increase in traffic from new local developments, but the design has been condemned by local and national cycling groups.

CTC Right to Ride spokesman Richard Burton said “The council ignored its own policies, government guidance, the consultation, a petition and our MP. This is entirely the council’s responsibility. We aren’t asking for anything radical or bizarre, we just want the council to follow its own policies.”

“We can’t understand why we have to raise petitions and have protest rides to try to get the council to follow its own policies and government guidance, and after 18 years of council failures, we call on the government to hold an inquiry to find out why this council fails so badly so often.”

The cyclists point out that every council policy which could possibly apply says that cyclists and pedestrians should have been considered at the initial design stage, and all subsequent stages, and are baffled as to why they weren’t.

A spokesman for the Bristol Cycling Campaign said “The safety audit guidelines are explicit about including pedestrians and cyclists, but the audit doesn’t mention them even once.

“This is gross incompetence and if any pedestrian or cyclist is injured or heaven forbid, killed, we will hold the council liable.

“The injury figures are bad enough, but they are very much an underestimate and the real figure is many times more.”

The cyclists also point out that many of the new roads in the new developments do not follow council policies, including Hayes Way, in Patchway, which was constructed during the council’s participation in the Cycling City project, but has no facilities for cyclists.

A South Gloucestershire Council spokesman said: “The improvements at M5 Junctions 16 and 17 form part of the transport package for the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood which aims to enhance the local public and sustainable transport infrastructure while also improving the local road network and tackling congestion at identified pinch points.

“We want to encourage a shift away from private car use to more sustainable forms of travel, and in line with the transport hierarchy set out in the Joint Local Transport Plan we will be investing significant sums to support walking, cycling and public transport use. The MetroWest and MetroBus schemes alone will see investment of around £140 million.

“At the same time it is also important that we address traffic congestion, which is in itself a deterrent to walking and cycling and causes delays to public transport. As part of this approach we have secured government funding for improvements to the slip roads at M5 Junctions 16 and 17.

"These schemes have been designed in line with local and national transport policy and while they are not focused specifically on promoting sustainable transport, opportunities have been taken to improve facilities for pedestrian and cyclists, such as enhancements to the crossing points at M5 Junction 17.”

A spokesman for The Highways Agency said: "We consider the requirements of all of our customers, including, where appropriate, cyclists and other non-motorised users with particular emphasis where our roads meets local authority roads.

"Given that Junction 16 is immediately adjacent to a significant growth area we will be looking at potentially improving cycling facilities where the M5 slip roads meet the A38 in order to encourage more cycling and reduce peak hour congestion. We are currently investigating options and hope to take a scheme forward in the next two years."