Cyclists are organising a die-in at TfL HQ later this month in protest over a month of tragedies.
It must be hard for you to have missed that in the last two weeks, 6 cyclists have been killed in London. Even friends and family that don’t often talk about cycling as much as I do have been talking about it. Even they have said that HGV’s seem to be a problem.
All this came after Boris opened a short stretch of segregated cycle lane in Stratford. After the first death the day before, in quick succession we saw innocent people being crushed under the wheels of lorries and buses across the capital.
London Cycling Campaign held a vigil after one of the deaths at Bow.
Thank you for coming. 1000 joined us at Bow #space4cycling pic.twitter.com/ZhFtt4Mk1H
— LdnCyclingCampaign (@london_cycling) November 13, 2013
Apparently the Mayor of London thinks that headphones are more of a problem and has recently said he would support a ban on cycling with headphones but not one which would remove HGV’s from central London during rush hour. Now, I think riding with headphones is stupid too but they haven’t been the cause of the deaths and many reported (and unreported) injuries each day. It’s deflected the attention from the real issue and blaming the victim at the same time. Olympic champion, Chris Boardman, has called for Boris to stand by verbal commitments he gave Chris earlier in the year.
It’s not just central London though. Croydon is much further south and experienced it’s own tragedy when a cyclist was killed by a bus.
I don’t believe there’s a more cycle unfriendly place than Croydon. Distressing to hear this cyclist died. pic.twitter.com/NpuzMsjBEp
— john payne (@johnpayne01) November 12, 2013
Many people are now calling into question what credibility Boris has left.
Considering so little of what was promised has actually come to fruition in London, a grassroots organisation has sprung up on Facebook to bring together cyclists from across London for a peaceful protest outside the TfL HQ in south London. Full details here. Their page says:
“After 15 deaths and innumerable injuries on London’s roads over the last year, (6 deaths just in the space of two weeks this month), London’s cyclists have had enough.”
If you would like to join the protest or just like to find out more visit the Facebook page.
Karl Roche 