A traffic information sign telling cyclists that a diversion will take them three minutes extra to cycle while they burn 22 calories is proving a big hit in The Hague.

The closure of a cycle lane due to road works means cyclists need to follow a different route. However, bike users are notorious for ignoring road signs in the Netherlands and many carried on weaving through the traffic.

Now the city council has come up with an extra sign to encourage cyclists to follow the diversion after all.

‘When I look at it, I don’t think “oh what a bore” but that taking a different route is not really a hassle,’ one woman told broadcaster Omroep West. Another more cynical local pointed out that 22 calories is little more than a bite of a peanut butter sandwich.

Nevertheless, since the new board went up, the number of cyclists ignoring the diversion has gone down substantially, a city council spokesman told website nu.nl. The council is now considering using similar boards in other places, nu.nl reports.