South London cyclists demand more action from TfL and Boris Johnson

Cycling campaigners have warned that Transport for London (TfL) are still not doing enough to keep them safe on the roads, but say the future of cycling in South London looks positive.

The riders said that they were pleased with the progress that their local councils are making, however they said that dangerous junctions run by the TfL remained a hazard.

A member of the Southwalk Cyclists group said, “TfL is the problem. We can work as hard as we like on council roads but it’s TfL roads that are the dangerous ones.

Cycling campaigners have warned that Transport for London (TfL) are still not doing enough to keep them safe on the roads, but say the future of cycling in South London looks positive.

The riders said that they were pleased with the progress that their local councils are making, however they said that dangerous junctions run by the TfL remained a hazard.

A member of the Southwalk Cyclists group said, “TfL is the problem. We can work as hard as we like on council roads but it’s TfL roads that are the dangerous ones.

“It concerns me because we haven’t seen the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson really do anything to help prevent death on the roads.

TfL’s own statistics show that cycling accident casualties have risen since Boris Johnson became mayor. Between 2005 and 2009 there was an average of 420 cyclists killed or injured each year, however this figure rose to 467 in 2010 and 571 for 2011.

At Elephant and Castle alone there was on average a cycling casualty every twelve days between 2008 and 2011 leaving a total of 36 cyclists injured.

However campaigners claim that little has been done by either TfL or Boris Johnson, with the mayor claiming that the Elephant and Castle was “fine, if you kept your wits about you.”

“At the moment we have a lot of rhetoric from the mayor but we don’t really see the day-to-day commitment to cycling,” a spokesperson from a South London council said.

Despite the set-backs and lack of input from the TfL cyclists from the area said they are keeping their outlook optimistic.

A member of the TfL team said, “TfL has long been working towards improving the difficult conditions at Elephant & Castle and we have a large scale plan in place to alter the road layout in this area.”

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