BBC

London Cyclists stage mass ‘die-in’

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Following the recent deaths on London’s busy streets, cyclists in the capital held a vigil and protest outside the headquarters of TfL (Transport for London). Despite the cold we lay down next to our bikes and made a pretty bold statement that TfL can no longer ignore.

Vigil and protest combined
Vigil and protest combined – TfL employees watched from their offices.
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We’re not just ‘cyclists’, we’re people on bikes.


 tfl
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A photograph of the event posted by the 'STOP KILLING CYCLISTS' campaign
A photograph of the event posted by the ‘STOP KILLING CYCLISTS’ campaign

London’s die-in was reminiscent of the famous Dutch die-in that took place in the 1970s on the museumplein outside the Rijksmuseum.

The original Dutch die-in
The original Dutch die-in

The Dutch campaign was motivated by the number of people (particularly children) who were dying on the roads. Their protest achieved remarkable things in terms of their infrastructure, and 40 years down the line they are still reaping the benefits.

Dutch solutions to London’s problems aren’t really so radical, and their implementation would only requires a modest degree of commitment from the government.
Look at how they deal with HGVs and roundabouts – surely this sort of infrastructure is desirable for everyone, no?

On a side note, my sister was interviewed by the BBC during the protest, and her vox-pop even made it onto the evening news! I will try to upload a video, if I can find one…

My sister highlighted the benefits of cycling, both for the health of the population and for the environment. She also talked about how
In her interview, my sister highlighted the benefits of cycling for the health of the population and for the environment. She also talked about how poor the infrastructure in London is, and how standards on the Continent are much higher. Needless to say, I am very proud of her.

And the BBCs coverage of the event (my sister at 1:04)…

and another one…

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This entry was posted in Alternatives to Cars, Commuting, cycling, Cycling Infrastructure, Dutch Cycling Infrastructure, HGVs, Kindermoord Campaign, Legal Issues, London, Politics, Roundabouts, Strict Liability Laws, transport, Transport for London, UK, Urban Cycling and tagged , , , , , .

8 radical ways to protect cyclists

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8 radical ways to protect cyclists

The BBC have posted an article proposing 8 different ways of protecting people on bikes.

Interestingly, instead of simply copying the exemplary Dutch solution, they suggest wacky and impractical things like ‘elevated cycle routes’ and ‘body armour’ for cyclists.

How about strict liability laws and a better network of segregated cycle paths? Come on guys, they’ve shown us how it works on the Continent, it’s about time we stopped farting about with pie-in-the-sky ideas and got our act together.

The bike is king of the road in The Netherlands
The bike is king of the road in The Netherlands
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This entry was posted in Commuting, cycling, Cycling Infrastructure, Dutch Cycling, Dutch Cycling Infrastructure, Kindermoord Campaign, Legal Issues, Politics, Strict Liability Laws, transport, Transport for London, UK, Uncategorized and tagged , , , .