THE Pos poses the question to readers: Should shared cycle and pedestrian paths be made safer? (Open Line, September 16.)

The answer from my personal point of view is an emphatic yes.

I say so as one summer lunch hour – with fine weather – I was walking the Castle Park combination pathway near and towards Castle Street when I was cycled into from behind. I wasn't on the cycle path.

I suffered no injury but it was a painful experience for several minutes, to say nothing of this most unpleasant surprise.

The cyclist said he'd no chance of avoiding my posterior due to sudden movement of children. Admittedly, there were plenty of pedestrians on the walk and cycle way at the time, but I questioned the speed of the cyclist. He said he wasn't speeding.

I agree with cyclist correspondent Mrs Elaine Amos' viewpoint ("Shared path needs urgent attention") that here, in the Castle Park setting, clearer segregational markings are required.

Yet the complete answer to Castle Park's walk and cycle way has been expressed by recent correspondents to Open Lines. That is for wide, raised walkways or pavements each side of the cycle path. I also agree that the suggested stone-built railing-topped park boundary walling from Castle Street to level with St Peter's Church will ensure people relaxing on grass parallel to the cycle path are 100 per cent safe – provided cycling is prohibited inside that park boundary wall.

There is no doubt that in Castle Park's relaxed atmosphere, pedestrians are lulled into a false sense of security from all forms of wheeled movement.

Therefore, these suggested segregations for the park are essential.

I don't doubt that many such unfortunate "accidents" such as my Castle Park experience go unrecorded. Nonetheless, the local authority and its parks department need to act on these Castle Park incidents which have come to light via Open Lines readers.

Charles J Peppard, Frampton Cotterell.

YOU pose the question: Should shared cycle and pedestrian paths be made safer?

As a cyclist, I answer "yes".

Footfall and the wheel are an unsafe combination. As regards the city of Bristol, this is especially so in Castle Park, for obvious reasons – that is, parkland recreation and the wheel do not safely mix.

The answer is for a structured segregation of pedestrians from the wheel.

Jason Redford, Bishopsworth, Bristol.