Cyclist hurt in underpass collision calls Bristol paths unsafe

A cyclist who was knocked off his bike in an underpass near Temple Meads is calling for CCTV after a crash on September 25 that left him in A&E for the rest of the day. James, who is in his 30s, said he was riding along Cattle Market Road at about 11.50am when an e-bike rider approached from behind and struck him. He described himself as a keen cyclist and said he rides a bike everywhere.

James suffered a cracked helmet, a deep cut on his elbow, grazes to his arm and back, and tendon damage. His shoulder required between two and four weeks of rehabilitation, and he said his commute to Chippenham was affected. A woman walking toward him called for an ambulance. The impact left a three-inch crack in his helmet. He said he could have been killed or suffered brain damage had he not been wearing it, and he called the collision attempted GBH with no motive. He said he will not use that cycle path again, nor the Bristol and Bath Railway Path.

James described Bristol as a lawless city where people can get away with anything, and asked why police do not act on low-level criminality. He wants CCTV installed on both sides of the underpass, saying he would not feel safe walking alone there at night, and called the underpass an accident waiting to happen. The underpass sits near Temple Meads. He also said the Bristol and Bath Railway Path is unsafe and dangerous by itself.

Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said there are no plans to install additional cameras and that there is no evidence CCTV alone would address dangerous behaviour or criminality on the cycle paths. Plowden said enforcement remains a matter for the police, and that CCTV is most effective as part of a wider package of measures. He said the council is in regular contact with Avon and Somerset Police about antisocial behaviour and hotspot locations, and that the council, working with the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, has improved visibility and addressed blind spots along sections of the route. The council is developing a Road Safety Strategy covering risks for people walking, wheeling, cycling or driving.

Acting Neighbourhood Inspector Shaf Zahoor said the incident was reckless and unacceptable, and that additional uniformed patrols of the area are under way as operational demand allows. The Walk Wheel Cycle Trust said it takes safety on the National Cycle Network seriously and works with local authorities to improve routes.

A Freedom of Information request found at least 83 offences reported to police along the Bristol and Bath Railway Path between the start of 2024 and August 25, 2026. On August 11, a man in his 30s was attacked near Bitton at about 8pm and taken to hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries; two teenage boys were arrested and released on bail with conditions barring them from the railway path and an overnight curfew. A day later, a teenager was attacked and his bicycle stolen near the old Mangotsfield Station. On September 18, three men tried to rob a man in his 50s riding a mobility scooter near Warmley between 2.45pm and 3pm; he was left with minor injuries and the trio fled into a wooded area near Warmley Tea Rooms. South Gloucestershire Council has plans for 20 new cameras between Staple Hill and Bitton Station.