"Ducks get right of way on England's towpaths" is the headline on p32 of today's Times newspaper. The article begins: "The Canal and River Trust is pressing ahead with a campaign to demarcate duck lanes along the side of canals in England and Wales, with an appeal to walkers, cyclists and boaters to "share the space, drop your pace"."
The piece goes on to say that sections of towpaths will be marked with a white logo of a waddling duck; the latest "duck lane" is on a 1.5 mile stretch between Elland and Brookfoot, near Bradford.
I looked for the news release which might have prompted this report and found one entitled
"Preserving the peace on our towpaths" issued on 6th October.
There's no mention in the text of "duck lanes", but there is an accompanying video where they are referred to.
The Times article missed the point. Of course it's absurd marking out a lane for ducks to use. As Dick Vincent, national towpath ranger, says in the video, "You can't have a lane for every single type of use".
But just how marking out a "duck lane" will encourage (human) towpath users to "drop your pace" is not made clear.
I think it's a waste of money and vandalism of a historic structure. Oh, but it got three column inches in a national newspaper. So that's all right, then.
1 comment:
It's a bit like the bridges we have over the highways here especially for animals. I often wonder whether they realise they are there for their use...I can't imagine it somehow, but there are several all over the country!
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