Boris Johnson leads by example
OK, I admit it. I’m not a London resident. I have spent large periods of my life coming into London to work. More recently I have become a firm convert to public transport, having once been inseparable from my car. And when in my home town, just twenty minutes or so from London, I generally cycle. So on paper, I’m quite a good candidate for Boris’s bonkers Barclays bikes.
I was in town on Sunday evening attending the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall (Kensington and Chelsea) and was delighted to see the rows of blue bikes. And then I had a sinking feeling.
The year before last, Nick Wright, father of two and devoted husband, and my best mate at middle school, was struck in the head by a passing lorry whilst cycling through London. He died instantly. Yes, he was wearing a helmet. Yes, he was an experienced cyclist. Yes, he was a very sensible man.
You see, the problem with Boris’s plan to convert London’s commuters to bicycles is not a lack of bicycles. It’s a lack of bicycle lanes. And I’m sorry, but using a bit of blue, green or any other colour paint and segregating a portion of road does not constitute a cycle lane. It doesn’t stop London’s aggressive drivers using it as their thoroughfare if they run out of standard, black macadam, regardless of whether there’s already a cyclist on it.
I was in Copenhagen earlier this summer, and was delighted to see proper bicycle lanes, separate from the pavement and segregated from the road by a substantial kerb. Cyclists aplenty were whizzing up and down serenely, safe in the knowledge that they weren’t about to end up between the wheels of a Range Rover. Cycle parks littered the city. And I didn’t see a single bike lock left dangling inexplicably without a bicycle.
I applaud Boris for his efforts to convert us to greener travel, particularly as he has been leading by example for years. However, cities all over Europe have proper, constructed bicycle lanes, and people use them in their droves. And they are quite happy to buy their own bikes. The key to encouraging Londoners to use bikes around town is not to supply the bikes, but to make them feel safe whilst riding them. I would no more cycle around the streets of London as they are than put my fingers in a blender.
