I’m talking about this bit and the space further north which is usually full of pedestrians and occasionally full of PCSOs.

This bit (see above) is the north end and, going north, cyclists should be on the road and the southbound cyclists should be on the pavement. Of course, often, as here, a double-decker bus is on the road so cyclists divert via the pavement. But the northbound route is on the road.

This is the north end of Rye Lane featuring the lovely Peckham High Street. I hope you can see that the route to and from the Arch is now on the pavement — curving round those two fragile looking trees. It does NOT go directly across that tempting bit of pavement in front of the shops where the PCSOs like to hang out.

this one gives the best view of what you should (and should not) be doing. Of course, there are many reasons why cyclists don’t do what they are supposed to at this point. The “correct” route is too narrow, turns at a ridiculous angle onto and off the crossing and ends in a lamp-post like this:

However, those intellectual ideas will not fend off the PCSOs. And the other thing to know about this pedestrianised bit is that at the southern end, going south, the traffic lights have cycling light — but you have to press the button.