Cycling campaigners in London have called for “immediate and decisive action to address the safety of cyclists” after a woman was killed by a ‘racing’ moped rider while cycling in one of the city’s bike lanes.

Police investigating the death of the female cyclist, who was in her 50s, have confirmed this week that arrests have been made following the fatal hit-and-run collision, with reports suggesting that the moped rider may have been involved in a feud with other scooter users and had entered the bike lane to cut through traffic.

The cyclist was riding in the semi-protected cycle lane on King Street in Hammersmith, known as Cycleway 9, when she was hit by the moped rider, who fled the scene on foot, at around 5.40pm on Friday 22 August.

She suffered critical injuries in the crash and, despite the best efforts of paramedics and members of London’s Air Ambulance, died at the scene at Lyric Square.

The cyclist, whose name has not been made public, is the sixth person to die while cycling in London in 2025. Her family are currently being supported by specially trained officers, the Metropolitan Police has said.

King Street Cycleway 9
King Street Cycleway 9 (Image Credit: Google Maps)

According to a report in the Standard, moments before the fatal collision, a number of moped riders had entered the cycle lane – which at that point is only protected by plastic bollards – seemingly in a bid to cut through traffic.

Reports have also suggested that the moped riders were racing and were possibly involved in a “feud”.

The cyclist had no connection to the moped or scooter riders, and was simply “in the wrong place at the wrong time”, sources have said.

In a statement issued this week, the Met has confirmed that, following efforts to trace down those involved in the fatal crash, arrests have been made.

“Around 17:40hrs on Friday, 22 August, officers attended King Street, Hammersmith, following reports of a collision between a moped and a bicycle in the cycle lane,” a police spokesperson said.

“The cyclist, a woman in her 50s, was found with critical injuries. Despite the efforts of paramedics, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her next-of-kin are being supported by specially trained officers.

“Arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Anybody who witnessed the incident, or who has information, should call 101, quoting CAD 5782/22AUG.”

Floating bus stop on Cycleway 9 in King Street, Hammersmith
Floating bus stop on Cycleway 9 in King Street, Hammersmith (Image Credit: Simon MacMichael)

Following the latest tragic incident involving a cyclist in the capital, the London Cycling Campaign has called on the city’s authorities to address concerns that Cycleway 9 is constantly being used by motorbike, moped, and scooter riders.

The two-way cycle lane forms part of Transport for London’s cycling network and runs for around a mile along King Street, from its junction with Goldhawk Road at the boundary with Hounslow in the west, to Hammersmith Broadway in the east.

However, the level of protection provided by Cycleway 9 varies in different locations, with the lane’s concrete kerb giving way to plastic bollards at Lyric Square (as seen in this story’s main image), the scene of last month’s fatal collision.

The London Cycling Campaign has previously voiced its concerns that the “downgrading” of the bike lane’s protection from a raised kerb to bollards has made it easier for moped users, including delivery riders on illegal electric motorbikes, to access the cycleway (though it is understood that the rider involved in the fatal crash was not a delivery rider).

Nevertheless, the London Cycling Campaign’s chief executive Tom Fyans, in a letter to Hammersmith and Fulham council, described the tragic incident as a “stark reminder of the critical need for immediate and decisive action to address the safety of cyclists” using Cycleway 9.

“It is a concerning trend that motorbike and moped riders frequently use the cycle lane on King Street to circumvent traffic or make deliveries,” he said.

“This includes some riding across Lyric Square. These practices endanger those cycling as well as walking and wheeling and undermine the very purpose of active travel initiatives.”

King Street Cycle Lanes via Google Street View
King Street Cycle Lanes via Google Street View (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

This isn’t the first time that concerns have been raised concerning safety issues on King Street’s cycle lane, which was the subject of several complaints from motorists and politicians before it was installed, including an unsuccessful legal challenge from anti-cycling group OneChiswick in 2020 and 2021.

In 2023, broadcaster and cycling advocate Jeremy Vine criticised the Telegraph for claiming that there had been a “surge” in the number of injuries along the route since the protected infrastructure was installed.

Citing Transport for London (TfL) data, the Telegraph claimed that from January to August 2022, three people were seriously injured while riding bikes on the segregated cycleway – two in collisions involving motor vehicles at junctions, and one in a crash involving three bikes.

That compares to one cyclist being seriously injured on the same stretch of road during the three years from 2019 to 2021, while the news outlet also highlighted that during that same period, 10 cyclists had been slightly hurt in road traffic collisions, which it said was twice as high as the number in 2019, before the lane was built.

However, Vine – who branded the story “garbage” – hit back by pointing out that there was a “crucial fact” missing in the Telegraph’s article, namely, “how many people are using the lane now, compared to the number who used it before?”

“Without this, these ‘stats’ mean nothing,” the radio and TV presenter said. “No-one was cycling in this area before, because it was so dangerous – that’s why fewer cyclists were hurt.”