“Long lines” of cyclists arriving on cruise ships – including groups containing 50 riders – causing havoc for drivers on roads, locals claim

Cruise ship tourists aren't too popular in the Netherlands these days either. It'll have to be Austria. 

I bet one would be even more unpopular if it turned up in Vienna or Linz - probably cause serious congestion on the Danube.

Strictly speaking you do get cruise ships in Vienna and Linz - although they are much smaller river cruise ships (~200 passangers rather than the ~2,000+ you could get on a big ocean cruise ship).

OnYerBike wrote:

Strictly speaking you do get cruise ships in Vienna and Linz - although they are much smaller river cruise ships (~200 passangers rather than the ~2,000+ you could get on a big ocean cruise ship).

I'm not sure that 2,000 passengers counts as a big cruise ship nowadays… 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_cruise_ships

IIRC cruise ships are being restricted in Venice, too (I appreciate that's hardly a cycling Mecca…).

brooksby wrote:

IIRC cruise ships are being restricted in Venice, too (I appreciate that's hardly a cycling Mecca…).

At least one hotel has you covered apparently.  However I suspect you might get close passes from irate water-cabbies...

I can understand the confusion.

This "new" story is about recent comments made by a Shetland Islands councillor.

There was a story a few months ago about very similar comments made by an Orkney Islands councillor.

The old (Orkney) story is referred to extensively in the report above. Whether you call this "adding context" or "padding" probably depends on how generous you are feeling... But there definitely is a "new" story too - it is not purely recycled.

Some places have started to build parallel cycle tracks, the Ross of Mull for example, but 'allow faster traffic to overtake' using the passing spaces is an alien concept to many visitors.

Indeed, but I suspect someone - the harbourmaster if no-one else (but probably the local council / tourist board) has some influence over the ferry operator / tour companies. If not then indeed it is a tragedy.

Problem being I'm sure at least some folks are keen on the money from tourism - or publicity, if council. Managing that though - that's the trick.

For those poh-poohing the concern, imagine if you were living in a place and suddenly a large fraction of - or even several multiples of - the population turned up one morning. I suspect it would be startling!

Sounds like double or quits - if they feel this is "tour operator doesn't give one" perhaps they do need restrictions. Oherwise perhaps it's possible if they think this is a goer long-term to add in some cycle infra. Might even start a trend ... (probably limited there, I hear they really *do* have weather, winds particularly).

Just because people "love to cycle there for tourism", it doesn't mean the locals have to love their being there. Tourists arriving on cruise ships are not always popular at the places they visit, since they create congestion and make a mess but don't spend a lot of money, as they tend to eat and sleep on the ships.

Oh please do tell me how cyclists on segregated cycle infrastructure would create congestion, I'll grab my popcorn.

This is Shetland and Orkney. They have no segregated infrastructure for cyclists. They have virtually no roads that are not single track

Obviously, but everyone seems to be ignoring my original point that if they don't like cyclists on their roads, they could build some tracks adjacent to the roads rather than send the police after them.

At least in the article HoarseMann linked us to, there doesn't appear to be any hedgerows or land being used for farming around the road they're on.

i'd bet my mortgage you have never been to a small scottish island, or have any idea of what life is like, the physical conditions, or the infrastructure. Segregated cycle lanes are brilliant, but if you think that we are going to see these in Shetland and Orkney, you are deluded. We are talking about tiny single track roads that weave through bog, rocky outcrop, archeological sites, and especially in the western isles, machair and crofting land. 

There are plenty of roads like you describe in the remoter areas of Shetland, but for the cruise ship cyclists they are 80% on modern standard 2 lane roads with gravel hard shoulders built in the 1980s and 90s. I linked a Komoot route below, have a look about on streetview.
There are plans for road adjacent shared use paths, not least as they would link the main town with the areas within 5 miles of it where 50% of the population live, but progress is not fast. It's a shame as there is £1M+ of ringfenced Scottish Goverment money available each year at the moment.  https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2023/07/28/a-waste-of-money-differing-views-o...

the little onion wrote:

i'd bet my mortgage you have never been to a small scottish island, or have any idea of what life is like, the physical conditions, or the infrastructure. Segregated cycle lanes are brilliant, but if you think that we are going to see these in Shetland and Orkney, you are deluded. We are talking about tiny single track roads that weave through bog, rocky outcrop, archeological sites, and especially in the western isles, machair and crofting land. 

I'm sorry but you seem to be living in the 1960's, almost all the main roads on Orkney and Shetland (especially around and between the main towns) are now good quality dual lane roads with long straights ideal for passing smaller groups of cyclists, a quick check on google street view can confirm this. The problem seems to be that the cyclists stick together in long single file groups and a bit of instruction from the cruise companies coupled with releasing them in smaller groups could probably eliminate most of the problem.

Your mortgage was almost at risk there, I've cycled North Coast 500, but not ventured on to the islands.

Then why do they all own cars, if the infrastructure to use them is not there?

I remember visiting Alderney years ago. It's all of three fricking miles long, with no hills, yet loads of cars, mostly ten or more years old with 5,000 miles on the clock. Bonkers.

Contrary to what you might think, writing "I'll grab popcorn" doesn't make you look clever. No one suggested creating infrastructure would create congestion. Creating infrastructure involves costs, which someone has to pay for. 

I did, and you were replying to me 🤔

To clarify, if the route is 3 legs of a triangle there is an A-road alternative to 1 leg, while the other 2 legs are A-roads, out one leg out of town and back into town on the other, so you could chose to not be on the wrong leg at the wrong time, but that would be more of a dynamic thing.

A full closure isn't possible at all. There is no non-A-road route out of town.
You could possible do advisory signs on the single track leg but there doesn't seem to be that level of cross-organisation work in mind.

To try and fix that tortured description of the route, it's this one but anticlockwise, or similar.
https://www.komoot.com/smarttour/e964537674/scalloway-lerwick-loop-shetl...