MORE and more cyclists are taking advantage of Chester city centre's car free roads as motorists adhere to the coronavirus lockdown.

A campaign group has said a growing number of Chester residents are choosing to go out on their bike for their daily exercise allowance during the pandemic.

Simon Brown, a member of the Chester Cycle Campaign, said that earlier this week, unusually, there were more more cyclists than cars at the notorious bottleneck on Hoole Bridge.

He added: "It seems that an unexpected opportunity has arisen for cyclists as a result of the emergency measures in place to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Those cyclists normally frightened off the roads can get used to navigating the city streets by pedalling on the highway."

With lockdown in full swing it is evident that most people have heeded Government advice to not travel into work and only move out of the home for essential journeys.

Government advice currently states that for those of the population not exhibiting any symptoms of coronavirus, they can leave their homes to take exercise once a day by walking or cycling with the proviso that either it is alone or only in the company of those other people in their household displaying no symptoms, and at a separation distance of more than two metres of anyone else.

Mr Brown added: “The recently quietened roads around Chester are not only less polluted at the moment, but they are also a much less dangerous place to ride a bike with so little motor traffic about.

"The fair spring weather we have been having is an ideal opportunity to get that ‘resting’ bike out of storage and give it a spin. The traffic conditions around the city are so much improved that now it really actually can be pleasant to cycle around our lovely city.”