AS part of my commute by bike from Worcester to Grimley, I make use of the riverside paths almost every day.

Away from the roads, it’s a wonderfully smooth and peaceful section of the journey where I can breathe fresh air and take in the sights and sounds of the river. In addition this is where I’m most likely to cross paths with a friend, and share a ‘Good morning!’ or nod of the head.

When I say friends, I’ll confess, I don’t know their names, but I’ve come to remember the faces, be they on foot, another person on a bike, a dog, or maybe one of the council workers or people working on the fish pass.

Each passing connection warms the soul, and I realise I’d miss out on that daily interaction if I made the journey by car. It’s great to see how well used the paths are alongside the river, by both people on foot and bikes.

Read more: Barriers to cycling need to come down

Since the start of the Covid lockdown there has been a dramatic increase in use, which can be measured by counters on the Diglis Bridge; the highest number of monthly crossings in the last 10 years by both pedestrians, and bikes, have been in the last four months.

However, on occasion, I’ve now chosen a different route home due to the number of people using the paths. Most of the segregated cycling provision in Worcester is shared use with pedestrians.

In fact, excluding shared use cycling and bus lanes, I can think of very few genuine segregated cycleways in the city (answers on a postcard).

In the same way that bikes sharing space with cars, travelling at different speeds, at some point will result in conflict for the space, the same thing happens on shared use cycleways, and such they are far from ideal.

So what, as a pedestrian and a person riding a bike can I do to improve the situation? When travelling by bike I am expecting to encounter other people using the path, and as such am expecting to brake, sometimes to walking pace.

I’ve tried various types of bell, and none are adequate for all situations, for instance if it’s windy, or people are using headphones.

Sometimes the space is sufficient, sometimes I’ll slow down and ask to pass. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.

When walking, usually with my dog, I try to watch out for joggers or bikes, or if I hear a bell or a friendly warning, I’ll try to move out of the way with the least amount of fuss.

Both interactions are completed with a ‘Thanks’ and a smile. Neither cyclist, pedestrian or I’m sure dog wants to be involved in a collision, as it’s likely it will involve some form of injury to all parties.

This is the marked difference between any interaction between a pedestrian or cyclist and a motor vehicle. So next time you interact with someone else on a shared use path, be friendly.

Simples.