Thousands make call for cycle path to taken out as it ‘causes havoc’

A CYCLE lane in west London is so controversial almost 3,000 people want it ripped up.

Londoners are calling for the cycle path along King Street in Hammersmith to be taken out, saying it causes “havoc”.

The pop-up route was introduced by Labour-led Hammersmith and Fulham Council as part of its overall plan to create a safe cycling route from east to west Hammersmith.

However, a newly-launched petition to scrap the pathway has been signed by thousands of people, who claim it is unsafe for cyclists and causes congestion and delays.

It says: “The cycle lane impedes emergency vehicles, is dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, increases congestion and hence pollution, ended the King Street bus lane and reduces parking space, which negatively affects local businesses.”

In a petition comment, Michele Weininger said: “These new road measures are ridiculous and dangerous. They have created massive traffic jams in King Street and now the buses get stuck behind slow moving cars. Absolutely crazy.”

Julia Watkins said: “It’s causing more traffic and congestion, especially when buses are at stops. Emergency services are unable to get past.”

The King Street route is temporary and the council will need to consider the views of residents before deciding whether to keep it.

The petition was launched by two Conservative candidates – Hugo FitzGerald and Liam Downer-Sanderson – who hope to represent Ravenscourt ward.

Mr Downer-Sanderson said: “It is nigh on impossible to retro-fit cycle lanes on to busy main roads without a huge negative impact on everyone. Residents clearly agree and councils such as Hammersmith and Fulham Council have got to put their residents’ views ahead of the vociferous extremist cycle lobby.

“Emergency vehicles are being delayed, creating a risk lives will be needlessly lost.”

However, many keen cyclists want it to stay.

Leo Murray, a local dad and chair of cycling campaign group W6 Safe Cycling Families, said: “The lane is fantastic. It’s packed with parents and children. It’s already well used.”

Chair of Hammersmith and Fulham Cycling Group Casey Abaraonye said the majority of people living nearby did not have cars and the route was now safer for cyclists, walkers and disabled residents to get about.

He added: “It’s a massive improvement. King Street is a high street, not a highway. If we look at any high street operating at a decent capacity, the first thing we notice about it is that it isn’t flooded by cars.”

Chiswick resident Ruth Mayorcas, 68, who cycles along the route daily, said she felt safe, adding: “It keeps people [away from] heavy goods lorries, delivery vans and taxis. What’s dangerous is driver behaviour.

“Unfortunately the roads in London have been so hostile for so long for women, children and older men who want to use a bike to get around like they do in Europe.”

Cllr Wesley Harcourt, the council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “We have the farcical situation where the Conservative candidates for Ravenscourt claim they can make the ward cleaner and greener and the air quality better by encouraging as many cars as possible into Hammersmith and digging up the safe cycling pathway.

“This is the most puerile political opportunism. It flies in the face of a policy funded and supported by both their own Conservative government and the Mayor’s transport strategy for London.

“Hugo and Liam offer no solutions for safe cycling or tackling the climate emergency. We, on the other hand, are getting on with the hard graft of reducing emissions and encouraging safe cycle routes that meet the interests of all road-users.

“London is too congested and any new scheme to tackle that congestion takes time to bed in. That’s why we will continue to work with TfL on practical solutions whilst always, as ever, consulting local residents and businesses on the future of the cycle path.”