Mayor Sadiq Khan’s top transport aide today accused two London councils of “holding the city to ransom” by limiting safer cycling schemes.
Heidi Alexander criticised both Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea for blocking key cycling routes, including the Holland Park Avenue and Swiss Cottage to Oxford Circus cycle superhighways put forward by TfL.
Alexander said: “I was very disappointed not to be able to deliver the new cycleway through Notting Hill Gate because of the actions of Kensington and Chelsea council, and really disappointed not to be able to deliver the works at Swiss Cottage as well.
“Perhaps some people think this is quite inflammatory, what I am about to say, but I do feel there are some local authorities in central London, namely Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster, who hold the rest of the city to ransom when it comes to safe cycling infrastructure.
“I would have liked to have been able to deliver routes through those two boroughs that have been frustrated.”
Do you think that London boroughs should be able to block key cycling routes? Let us know in the comments below for your chance to be featured on the ES website tomorrow.
Yesterday’s Talking Point: Is the TfL deal ‘fair and reasonable’ for Londoners?
Opinions were mixed about the new TfL deal. Some of you were positive - “DesF7,” for example, said: “I don’t think I’d argue that there isn’t room for improvement in TfL but, certainly on the buses side, it is the model that other countries (Singapore for example) have based their regulatory systems on.
“In a wider context, before making direct comparisons between the TfL service(s) and what you see in other capital cities, it’s worth considering by how much other countries subsidise their services v extent to which TfL is forced to be self funding.”
But others were less so. “JDKnight” said: “TFL already run the most expensive transport service in the world. Moscow, Paris and New York run extensive services at a fraction of the price.
“Moscow and Paris metros are far more reliable than the service offered by TFL, which cares only about profit and not its customers - as can be seen by the number of disruptions on London Overground - trains running late, they speed past stations less than half full, forcing passengers to board an already crowded train. Social distancing is impossible on London Underground. TFL Rail closes every public holiday. If anything, TFL needs to reduce prices and the salaries of the incompetents running a service where the customer comes last.”
