The canal towpath from Leeds City Centre out to Saltaire is an ongoing project between British Waterways and Sustrans (the national cycle route people - excellent long distance routes), hard to believe in some places but it will eventually be a properly surfaced cycle and walking path.

Its a mistake in my opinion and I've used it as both a cyclist and a walker, and a dog walker who can't let his dog off the lead to wander free because of the risk to cyclists - pedestrians and cyclists don't mix on the same pavement especially when they are both heading in the same direction, people like to walk in groups, side by side and chat as they walk along, ignoring anything coming up quicker behind them, it just doesn't work.

The tow path along the Leeds - Liverpool Canal that passes through the Wigan Flashes has been paved really nicely and is excellent for walking along to view the birdlife on the flashes and is also a nice strech of water to fish. It is blighted by mountain bikers. I have long since given up fishing canals close to urban locations due to inconsiderate cyclists and dog walkers, despite the fact that I have to pay to fish them whereas the mountain bikers don't. I don't mind the boats because they were the reason the canals were built and they also pay for the right to use the water.

As an angler I avoid blocking the towpath with my gear, placing my tackle parallel to the bank. I use a standard rod and reel so don't need to occasionally block the path with a long pole. Next year the Div 2 National Championships are on the Wigan DAA section of the Leeds - Liverpool canal. Can see there being some conflict of interest then as the vast majority of the several hundred anglers taking part will be pole fishing.

I wonder how many of those cyclists have a canal permit? It doesn't cost anything but is still a legal requirement to cycle along a towpath

I've got one, its a useless piece of bureaucracy that I'm not even sure anyone in authority even knows exists, you can download them from the BW web site and fill it in yourself leaving only your name and address behind - and never in a million years will you ever get asked to produce it anywhere, in fact I probably threw mine in the bin so I might run another unnecessary copy off.

On the subject of fishing the canals, I agree with the previous poster, canals+fishing+walking=good, mix in cyclists and its not good and I've approached the problem from both ends, but it will get worse because as I mentioned before, Sustrans are part-managing some of the Leeds/Liverpool towpath now in return for listing as a route, a canal towpath can be an excellent place to cycle (its generally flat) and great to take the kids on their bikes and get the whole family cycling in a traffic free environment but some days its like the walking equivalent of the M1 on the Leeds-Shipley stretch.

A570 Rainford bypass, large dual carriageway with wide cyclepaths seperated from the main carriageway on either side yet the lycra brigade (including Sir Brad himself) are usually found on the main road with the lorries and busses. I just don't get it.

The Sunday Times reports that this government is spending £80M to pay for more cycle lanes to protect cyclists from traffic and encourage more people to cycle.

Good, they should treble it.

How much will climate change and obesity cost us?

Trebling it? Why, because the number 3 has magical powers?

I'd include a section on cyclist etiquette in the written car test, i mean a bigger section than they already have.
I'd make cycle proficieny tests compulsory.
A one off bike registration fee that gets you a plate number that is yours for life, to be retro fitted to the bike to help prevent flaunting of the road rules, and something that helps the police identify riders.

For the latter, are they going to start actually tackling the manifold things that cause much obesity, then? Like sugar in diets – particularly hidden sugars? Like the over-dependence (still encouraged by some doctors) on starchy carbs? The two biggest consumers of breakfast cereals (sugared, salted cardboard, sometimes with extra sugar) are the US and UK – coincidence?

Let me add.

The money made from the proficieny test & the one off fee for bike registration/rider identification could be ploughed back into bike schemes.

Your bike registration number would end up longer than your phone number, including the dialing code - there are more bikes than cars in the country and there are more cyclists than drivers.

We don't need more bureaucracy, just a different approach.

To fish the local canal I have to be a member of my local club who rent the water off BW or buy a day ticket which means I have to shell out £30 pa or £ 3 a session. On top of this I also have to fork out £30 pa for a rod licence. I don't object to paying out because this helps maintain the water quality / fish stocks / banks. While the club bailiffs do the rounds of all the club waters on a regular basis in 30+ yrs of angling I have never been asked fot my rod licence. Apparently only 6 EA bailiffs cover the entire NW.

While I am shelling out £60 pa it's so nice to know that cyclists need get a free permit to cycle along the canal. Do you think I have a cat in hells chance of getting the local old bill to enforce it?

LOL - you want the police to waste their time enforcing something that is free ?

There is an estimate from Sustrans that up to 21 million visits are made to canal towpaths each year by cyclists, can you put a fixed civil penalty on ignoring something that is free, or would the fine be free too ?

I just think it might encourage people to behave a bit more responsibly and help lower the numbers of cyclists using the towpaths as their own private race course.

Maybe a few signs from BW informing cyclists that they need a permit wouldn't go amiss either.