A petition has been launched calling on bus companies to instruct their drivers to reduce their speed on Cambridgeshire’s Guided Busway following the death of a cyclist last month.
Steve Moir, aged 50 and a father of three, was killed after he was struck by a bus in Trumpington as he rode home from his work at Cambridge Assessment on 13 September.
The exact circumstances of the fatal crash are the subject of an ongoing investigation.
> Investigation launched after cyclist is killed on Cambridge guided busway
The petition, launched on Change.org by Mr Moir’s friend Carrie Warren, reads:
We, the undersigned, call upon Whippet Coaches and Stagecoach East to instruct their drivers to reduce their speed to 20mph on the section of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway between Cambridge Railway Station and Long Road railway bridge until the results of the Health and Safety Executive investigation into the fatal accident on September 13 are published and can be considered.
We believe this step is necessary to make this section of the Busway safe for pedestrians and cyclists who are in close proximity to buses with no safety markings, fence, or other protection from fast-moving vehicles, and would be in compliance with the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway Operations Handbook v1.2, clauses 3.11, 7.6 and 7.8.
If the speed was reduced then drivers have a chance of reacting to people or other obstacles in the Busway in time, which may avoid or reduce the severity of any injuries.
One of Mr Moir’s three sons, 19-year-old Liam, told Cambridge News: "Someone my dad knew set up the page and me and my family have just been getting behind it and raising awareness for the cause.
"The petition means a lot to me and my family as buses fly down the busway and it’s very dangerous for people walking and cycling along there.
"My whole family wants to raise awareness because we don't want anything as horrible as what happened to us, to happen to anyone else.”
The petition has been signed by more than 3,500 people so far, and Liam added: "It's amazing to see how many people share the same views as us. I didn't realise it was going to do this well and get that many people signing and sharing it, it's amazing.
"It shows that after what's happened, people do want to help us and make a difference.
"Me and my dad were really close and shared a love of football and he took me to all my football matches.
“People should feel safe walking along the busway and maybe if the buses went slower then the bus could have stopped in time."
Simon has been news editor at road.cc since 2009, reporting on 10 editions and counting of pro cycling’s biggest races such as the Tour de France, stories on issues including infrastructure and campaigning, and interviewing some of the biggest names in cycling. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, his background has proved invaluable in reporting on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, and the bike industry. He splits his time between London and Cambridge, and loves taking his miniature schnauzer Elodie on adventures in the basket of her Elephant Bike.