Telegraph claim Jeremy Vine’s “favourite” cycle lane is controversial… for making drivers look both ways at junction; Cabbies welcome free Boris bikes for Knowledge candidates; GC action expected at Dauphiné + more on the live blog
Anti-cycling articles? From the Telegraph?
Long time readers of the live blog might be a little weary of Steve Bird’s antics. If you’re not, then as Bluesky user Still last identified, he has a track record of anti-cycling infrastructure articles for the Telegraph. And a lot of articles…
His latest work is aimed once again at undermining the cycling credentials of Jeremy Vine, a man who last year said he would stop sharing his home-edits of bad driving encountered on his cycle to work due to the online abuse he received, but has continued to discuss the matter on his morning Channel 5 phone-in show. I’m afraid I’m not a regular viewer.
“Jeremy Vine’s favourite cycle lane causes 500 percent increase in accidents” goes the headline. The article leans heavily on a petition by David Tarsh, a man who is also behind several other anti-active travel petitions. The cycle lane targeted this time is on King Street in Hammersmith, part of Cycleway 9 which runs from the town centre to Waterman’s park. But as Leo Murray observed on Bluesky, the Telegraph’s data is rather selective to include this menace of a junction.
“The 0.8m stretch of Cycleway 9 on King St selected by Tarsh includes a notoriously dangerous junction where a side road gives access to the A4: Weltje Rd. Weltje also lies between two large secondary schools, and schoolchildren crossing it as well as cyclists in C9 are routinely hit by cars here.” Murray writes.
“This junction has been an obvious fail since day one of C9 opening. As the casualties racked up, the council carried out some minor tinkering to the junction design. It didn’t help.
“We (local Evil Cycling Lobby) have written to [Hammersmith and Fulham Council] & discussed the problems here with cabinet members & officers constantly for the last 5 years. But they are too afraid of the motorist backlash that Tarsh et al will whip up if they do the obvious thing to fix it: close Weltje Rd to the A4.”
Bird, for his part, writes that the bike lane “has been controversial because it involves a two-way cycle track built on a one-way street.
“The council was forced to install signs warning motorists joining King Street that they should look both ways for hazards, despite the route still being one-way for cars.”
I’m not quite sure why a warning sign constitutes such a disaster, but anyway. Vine is somehow relevant to the story because he once described the roundabout, before the Cycleway was opened, as resembling a scene out of Ben-Hur. Good to know the Telegraph understand their audience demographics.
Maybe the last word should go to Vine though, who shows some rather effective restraint.
“Causes a 1,000 per cent increase in cycling journeys” would be a better headline
📻 ‘Jeremy Vine’s favourite cycle lane causes 500pc increase in accidents’https://t.co/LiSfaR0Npr
— Jeremy Vine | Here, on Tiktok, Insta & Facebook (@theJeremyVine) June 6, 2026
Free Boris bikes for Cabbie candidates - as requested by the drivers themselves!
Blimey, some unexpected good news for your Friday afternoon.
Candidates studying the Knowledge, the famous test required of all licensed taxi drivers in London, will be entitled to a year of free hire of a Santander Cycle, though perhaps better known as a Boris bike.
Starting next Monday, Knowledge candidates will be entitled to a free annual subscription that provides unlimited 60‑minute rides across the capital. And e-bikes are included! The offer will apply to around 1,300 students and aims to reduce the cost of training – which typically takes around three years – while also helping candidates build practical experience on the roads by learning central London’s road network more efficiently.
And the move has been championed by the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ association. General Secretary Steve McNamara says, “This is a fantastic initiative that will be welcomed by everyone in the Knowledge community.
“The process of learning every street, building, restaurant, club, pub, theatre, hospital and place of public interest is arduous, costly and very time consuming, this scheme will enable students to get around quickly, easily and for free at various times in their journey to becoming a London Cabbie.”
You know what else can be arduous, costly and very time consuming? Trying to navigate London by car. Maybe this partnership will cultivate a new generation of considerate taxi drivers, and encourage more understanding between different road users! One can dream…
Dauphiné preview: surely a GC day
This has been one of the strangest Dauphiné’s I’ve seen, a race with only one bunch sprint, and with both pre-race favourites behind a host of other favourites for the overall victory. But today is an ideal chance for both Isaac Del Toro and Paul Seixas to start clawing back time on the likes of Matteo Jorgenson, Kevin Vauquelin and even Oscar Onley, whilst Juan Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose will surely try and get in on the action.
Race leader Alex Baudin might fancy his chances of limiting his losses and remaining on GC, especially with a short descent breaking up the final hour of otherwise pretty relentless racing.
A factory error to end all factory errors?
Barcelona bans private bike share schemes from 2027, mayor slams e-bike “mess”
Hmm, not the best message you could be sending weeks before the start of the men’s Tour de France…
> Barcelona to ban private bike share schemes from 2027, as mayor slams e-bike parking “mess”
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In principle, it shouldn't matter if you're familiar with a particular junction - that's precisely why we have (relatively) uniform signage across the country (I had this from a driver recently - Him: sorry, I don't know the area. Me: but a no entry sign is the same everywhere...). But in practice in a busy environment like this, simply adding another sign saying look out for cyclists is limited help. I don't love cycling on contraflows / a two way cyclelane on a one way street for that reason. In fact there's a crossing I don't love as a pedestrian which is look right (bikes) look left (bikes) look right (cars), island, catch breath, look left (cars), look left (bikes). (Yes, you could wait for a green man, but then it's still look everywhere (Deliveroo)).
I'm not familiar with Jeremy Vine's favourite cycle lane. However I do have sympathy with drivers if they have to deal with "Look both ways for cyclists" as well as "One Way" and "No Entry" signs. Especially if the driver is not familiar with the junction.
@mitsky Alas for a second there I was awarding the motorist in the window there points for wearing hi-vis in their car, then I realised they were also wearing a motoring helmet...
While I understand it in context, I quite liked this to conclude a bike light review: "it’s a reliable set for the price, so long as you aren’t looking to ride in the dark"
@Bungle_52 My note on the description states "CD20 Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users" I've chased the police to explain which specific action this relates to, close passing and cutting me up or driving onto the pavement near pedestrians.
@mitsky Do happen to know what offence the points and fine were for?
@Mr Anderson Agreed. Perfect example is this parent doing an, approximately, 700 METRE school run. I worked t out by finding where the vehicle was parked on the residential road when I first encountered it. Whilst I can't be 100% sure, I am certain the children had no physical disability that would prevent them walking. https://youtu.be/R-dp-G6W8Jk
"Old Man Mountain kit is built tough, and comes with a lifetime warranty – which really matters, when it may well be subject to being battered over many tens of thousands of miles of awful terrain, carrying the equivalent weight of a small-ish child." Obviously it depends how the manufacturer applies its warranty, and OMM might be great - but worth noting that "lifetime warranty" is often less generous than it initially sounds - it's the reasonable lifetime of the product, and only warrants against manufacturing defects. So being battered over tens of thousands of miles is not necessarily going to be covered.
0.8m of cycleway does seem an extremely selective focus. Do we know which side of the junction those 80cm fall on?
4 thoughts on “Telegraph claim Jeremy Vine’s “favourite” cycle lane is controversial… for making drivers look both ways at junction; Cabbies welcome free Boris bikes for Knowledge candidates; GC action expected at Dauphiné + more on the live blog”
0.8m of cycleway does seem an extremely selective focus. Do we know which side of the junction those 80cm fall on?
@mdavidford
I’m not familiar with Jeremy Vine’s favourite cycle lane. However I do have sympathy with drivers if they have to deal with “Look both ways for cyclists” as well as “One Way” and “No Entry” signs. Especially if the driver is not familiar with the junction.
In principle, it shouldn’t matter if you’re familiar with a particular junction – that’s precisely why we have (relatively) uniform signage across the country (I had this from a driver recently – Him: sorry, I don’t know the area. Me: but a no entry sign is the same everywhere…). But in practice in a busy environment like this, simply adding another sign saying look out for cyclists is limited help.
I don’t love cycling on contraflows / a two way cyclelane on a one way street for that reason. In fact there’s a crossing I don’t love as a pedestrian which is look right (bikes) look left (bikes) look right (cars), island, catch breath, look left (cars), look left (bikes). (Yes, you could wait for a green man, but then it’s still look everywhere (Deliveroo)).