For a start, the length of promenade allocated for a six-month trial period will be a limited one, from south of Crescent Road/West Buildings and extending eastwards to Splash Point.

From there, of course, it will link up with the existing bike lane going all the way to the borough boundary at Brooklands — and beyond into Arun district.

But a more fundamental difference to the previous, axed, scheme was decided at the council's cabinet meeting on Monday, March 10.

There will be no designated cycle lane.

Cyclists and pedestrians will mix it on a "shared surface", which will give real meaning to the health and safety maxim "mind how you go!"

As both a pedestrian and occasional cyclist, I love the idea in principle.

It's great to think of such a shared, mobile togetherness.

I am, for example, not put out by seeing children cycling on pavements to and from school in peak traffic hours.

Keep the kids safe, I say!

But I know some of them don't care enough about other pavement users, which spoils it for everyone.

I cycle with the idea of not endangering other people, and this attitude won't change on the promenade.

Also, I walk with adequate hearing and eyesight which can help to keep me out of trouble.

Faculties which, unfortunately, are not wholly shared by many of Worthing's elderly/infirm population who enjoy a stroll or push along the seafront.

Let's compare a shared surface regime with the present prom cycle lane running from Splash Point to Brooklands.

On the latter route, apart from looking left and right when crossing the bike-designated lane, I feel relaxed in wandering along the adjacent section of beach path (let's hope it's not a false sense of security).

But using the other option, I wouldn't feel so sure. Nor, to a greater extent, would the thousands of more-vulnerable people using the western promenade.

Irresponsible, speeding cyclists might find it great fun to weave in and out of groups of pedestrians.

And we must not forget that it was beyond the then designated cycle lane that a head-down cyclist crashed into and severely injured a woman pedestrian.

That incident was a prime factor in the cycle lane being closed.

The council hopes the trial period will help educate prom users in sharing the seafront without causing danger to others.

We shall see.

But as this is a trial, there is always another option to bear in mind of a plainly-marked and properly-policed cycle lane to end the present joke cycling "ban", which is largely ignored.

News of a few stiff fines for future law-breakers would soon get around and make them think again.