King's Cross protest next Monday against TfL removal of pedestrian crossings

Cycling and road safety campaigners will be joined by the Green Party’s mayoral candidate Jenny Jones on Monday evening to protest against the policies of Transport for London (TfL) that they insist are putting vulnerable road users including cyclists and pedestrians at risk.

The protest, which starts at 6pm on the evening of Monday 9 January, starts 6pm at the junction of York Way and Pentonville Road where 24-year-old student Deep Lee was killed by a lorry in October last year.

After her death, TfL was accused of having failed to act upon a report that it had itself commissioned that made a series of recommendations regarding safety at the junction in question, although that was primarily focused on pedestrians.

Shortly before Christmas, TfL announced a strategic review of the junction, which was also the site of a candlelit vigil attended by the families and friends of some of the 16 cyclists killed on the capital’s roads last year.

Next Monday’s protest follows news that TfL is removing pedestrian crossings at various locations in London, as well as reducing the time available for those on foot to cross the road safely.

According to the website of the accesible transport campaign group Transport for All, so far TfL has removed six crossings and is consulting regarding proposals to take away a further 58, in line with Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s much-criticised prioritisation of smoothing traffic flow.

Transport for All maintains that removing the crossings and reducing crossing times puts vulnerable groups such as the elderly, the disabled, cyclists and children disproportionately at risk, but points out that it affects all those seeking to cross the road on foot.

It is calling on Mr Johnson to halt the programme of removal of crossings until full consultation has been carried out with disabled people living close to the locations affected, and is also pressing for a full investigation of “the risks and inconvenience to all pedestrians.”