Stop Killing Cyclists to hold annual ‘die-in’ outside TfL headquarters

On Friday November 27, 21 coffins will be laid outside Transport for London’s (TfL) headquarters by the Stop Killing Cyclists campaign group. The act is to symbolise the 21 cyclists killed on the roads of the capital since six were killed in just one month in 2013.

It will be the group’s third annual cycling and pedestrian safety die-in and vigil protest outside TfL HQ and a symbolic tombstone marking the estimated 24,000 Londoners who have died from transport related transport pollution and inactivity diseases over the past two years will also be placed.

• Cyclist killed when HGV driver turned left from the “wrong” lane on Elephant and Castle roundabout

The vigil is calling on all London mayoral candidates to support Stop Killing Cyclists’ ‘10 by 2020’ London Mayoral Cycle Safety Challenge.

The key element of ’10 by 2020’ is for 10 per cent of the TfL budget to be allocated to cycling infrastructure by 2020.

Stop Killing Cyclists co-founder Donnachadh McCarthy said:  “The current pathetic 1.4 per cent of the budget being spent on cycling safety is an insult to those dying from collisions, pollution and inactivity diseases and the tens of thousands of Londoners living every day with terrible health impacts.”

In response to a Stop Killing Cyclists questionnaire, two candidates – Sian Berry (Green Party) and Rosalind Readhead (Independent) – expressed support for the 10 per cent level of funding, while Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon promised at least three per cent and more if cycling exceeded three per cent of traffic.

However, this is only one of ten question posed to candidates:

    1. 10% BY 2020: Will you commit to investing 10% of TfL budget on cycling infrastructure by 2020, building up each year from current minuscule 1.4%?

    2. END HGV/BUS BLIND SPOT: Will you require full blind-spot safety equipment (Left Hand Side CCTV and alarms) to be installed in all existing and new HGVs, buses, coaches and Tipper Trucks entering London?

    3. MINI-HOLLANDS FOR ALL: Will you fund a Mini-Holland Programme for all London Boroughs within your first term?

    4. PHYSICALLY PROTECTED CYCLE-LANES: Will you support a comprehensive grid of Go-Dutch standard physically protected cycle-routes across the TfL road network to enable people of all ages and abilities to cycle safely?

    5. LONDON 20 MPH ZONE: Will you support a 20mph speed limit across London (excluding motorways)?

    6. SAFER LEFT HAND TURNS – EMERGENCY PROGRAMME + IDAHO LAW: Will you support the introduction of the Idaho law, allowing cyclists to turn left when traffic is free at junctions, with full legal priority for pedestrians, when doing so and support an emergency programme of installing safe protected left-hand turns at a minimum of the 500 junctions that were originally promised to be reviewed by Boris Johnson by the end of your first term? (NB These were subsequently cut to 33)

    7. END LETHAL TIME PRESSURES ON BUSES/TIPPER TRUCKS: Will you end the lethal paid by timed delivery regimes for HGVs in the construction industry and end dangerous system of paying for bus performance by contracted Excess Waiting Time Targets?

    8. SQUARES AND STREETS FIT FOR HUMANS: Will you support a programme of making our beautiful major squares and shopping streets fit for humans, by closing them to motorised transport, including Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly, Parliament Square, Bank Junction, etc ?

    9. TWO TfL BOARD PLACES FOR CYCLISTS: Will you appoint two cycling representatives to the TfL Board, nominated by cycling groups and change its name to the London Cycling, Walking and Transport Authority?

    10. TIPPER TRUCK BAN: Will you ban tipper trucks at rush hour and introduce a scheme whereby electric delivery trucks bring in goods from HGVs parked in outer London, into central London and promote cargo bikes for last mile deliveries?

The vigil will be held outside the Palestra Building, Blackfriars Road on November 27 between 5pm and 6.30pm.