A new piece of artwork on the Regent's Canal towpath in London has been unveiled by British Waterways (BW) as part of a campaign to encourage cyclists and pedestrians to share the towpath safely.

It is hoped that the temporary artwork, which has been designed to create the illusion of a canyon in the middle of the path, will shock speeding cyclists into slowing down along the canal as part of the Two Tings initiative. Two Tings also includes a code of conduct designed to reduce the number of collisions between cyclists and pedestrians along the towpath route, which has seen an increase in users in 2009 due to the recession and environmental awareness.

BW towpath ranger Joseph Young said: "There are a handful of users who refuse to slow down and share the space with their fellow pedestrians and cyclists. That's why we've commissioned this piece of art. "We hope that it will shock them into slowing down to avoid falling into the canyon we've created. Once they've slowed down it gives us an opportunity to talk to them and explain how their speeding puts both them and other users at risk."

Image: British Waterways