CYCLISTS have raised concerns about road signs in the centre of Stroud that do not make it clear to motorists that bike users can travel both ways along the street.

The section of Lansdown Road from the Brickrow junction to the Locking Hill junction is a one-way street for motorists, however cyclists are allowed to travel along the street in both directions.

However according to Stroud cyclist Andrew Tipper some drivers are not aware that cyclist can travel in both directions and on some occasions this has led to quite heated exchanges. "To be fair it is not always the drivers fault as the signage at the end of the road isn't that clear," said Mr Tipper.

"Motorists who turn left into Lansdown from Brickrow do not have a good view of the contra-flow signs on the entrance to that section of the road.

"That bend is really tight and most drivers have to take it quite widely which results in them ending up in the cycle contra-flow lane on the right-hand side of the road.

"This coupled with the fact that the signs are not really visible from the Brickrow junction means that it can be very dangerous for cyclists travelling along Lansdown towards that junction.

"I have had quite a few near misses there and although in some cases the driver is unaware that cyclists can travel along the road both ways, unfortunately there are other times when drivers just give me abuse regardless.

"Usually I just get yelled at to pay road tax but sometimes they can be quite verbally abusive and on a few occasions motorists have purposefully swerved into the cycle lane in an attempt to hit me."

Mr Tipper has been knocked off his bike twice whilst cycling in the Stroud district - once on the A38 and also in Slimbridge Lane near Berkeley.

"Although I feel it is important that motorists and cyclists alike are made aware of the rules of certain roads in the town, it's also important to ask the question - When did it become alright to drive at a cyclist?" added Mr Tipper.

"We are all humans and we should all be treated as such there shouldn't be this opinion that motorists have more of a right to be on the road than cyclists - especially in a road like Lansdown where a cycling contra-flow lane has been put in place."

Mr Tipper has contacted the Highways Agency to see what can be done to make Lansdown Road safer for cyclists and make the road signs much clearer for motorists.

Daniel Tiffney, local highways manager at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “We’re aware of the situation in Lansdown and together with Gloucestershire Police, the Road Safety Partnership and our highways contractor, we’re looking into what extra safety measures we can put in place.”

Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership launched The Invisibles campaign earlier this month with the aim of improving awareness on the roads and cutting the number of crashes.

This week the focus is on encouraging drivers to pay more attention to vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists and cyclists.