London Trust Gives Ducks Their Own Lanes

The busy walkways in London get a substantial amount of foot traffic from cyclists, walkers and runners that prompted an organisation to pave way and share lanes to an unusual group of pedestrians—ducks, CityMetric reports. According to the report, the Canal & River Trust in U.K. made a move to give respect to ducks that are frequenters along walkways.

CityMetric reports that the trust created lanes exclusively for ducks. The trust painted a white line on the sideways, together with a stencil duck art, to indicate the lanes intended for the waddling fowls. The trust said that it is unlikely for the ducks to keep staying on their lane but the painted line should be a reminder for everyone to slow down their pace.

"For many people our towpaths are among their most precious green spaces, antidotes to the pace and stress of the modern world and places to relax and unwind," said Richard Parry, chief executive of the trust, in a 3News report. Parry describes the canal walkways as a “slice of peace and calm” in the centre of bustling cities.

According to CityMetric, the new duck lanes not only give way to the birds, but also serve to remind how narrow the paths are. The report states that both bikers and pedestrians cannot fit well along these narrow routes, so everyone should be responsible enough to watch out for each other moving in different directions.

The Trust encourages everyone to follow the “code for towpaths”, which include sharing the place for everyone to enjoy and being mindful of other pedestrians accessing the routes. This would also consider giving priority to pedestrians despite being in a hurry.

Huffington post reports that this move is also a “temporary initiative” made by the trust in support of the “Share the Space, Drop Your Pace” campaign. The campaign increases awareness among all people--and including animals—accessing the narrow paths.

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