CYCLISTS plan to occupy the streets around King’s Cross station this evening in protest at the sharply rising two-wheeler death toll on London’s roads.
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“Monday’s event is the first step in a campaign to stop – by whatever nonviolent means needed – the completely unnecessary level of deaths, injuries and fear inflicted by motorists on the more vulnerable,” said Albert Beale of Bikes Alive, one of the groups organising the protest.
The Bikes Alive people aim to block access to the roads outside King’s Cross for an hour, starting at 6pm, as a way to put pressure on Transport for London to change road markings and traffic light phases so as to take better account of cyclists and pedestrians.
Today’s action could be the first of many.
“Unless TfL changes its priorities, Bikes Alive will endeavour to organise regular road closures, to completely close down King’s Cross for at least one hour every week until TfL comes to its senses,” said a spokesperson.
In 2011, 16 cyclists died while riding their bikes in London, compared to 13 the year before and 10 in 2009. That 60% increase in cyclist deaths is some way ahead of the 50% rise in numbers of London cyclists over a similar period.
The junction outside King’s Cross is a particular bug-bear, as four cyclists have been killed in the area over the last five years, the most recent being fashion student Min Joo Lee, who died in October 2011.
“Every few days, another London family is torn apart by the violent death of a loved one, killed needlessly on the capital’s streets,” said Ashok Sinha, head of the London Cycling Campaign.
