Children cycling “wrong way around roundabout” latest target of ex-Reform councillor who claimed cyclists should give way to cars – but critics argue he’s delayed safety scheme; Regent’s Park bike jam splits opinion; Cyclist v Tank + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Children cycling “wrong way around roundabout” latest target of ex-Reform councillor engaged in “Facebook culture war” who claimed cyclists should give way to cars – but critics point out he’s helped delay safety improvements
Alright Ed Hill, I think it’s time to set Facebook down for a wee while, you’ve had far too much screen time this week.
Yep, that’s right, everyone’s favourite Devon-based expelled Reform/Advance/Independent councillor and former driving instructor is at it again.
Earlier this week, we reported that Hill, who’s gone through more parties than a Tour de France rider in Paris, filmed himself navigating the entrance to a side road in Exeter, which features a cycle path, in order to claim that people on bikes should give way to vehicles at the “dangerous” junction.
The plethora of videos he uploaded to Facebook about the Pinbrook Road cycle lane, of which he claimed to “hardly see anything at all” from the wheel of his camper van, were, rather predictably, titled ‘I Could Have Killed a Cyclist Today… But Whose Fault Would It Have Been?’
And now, days later, he’s turned his attention to another piece of cycling infrastructure in Exeter, which he says causes cyclists – including children – to ride against the flow of traffic to continue along the bike lane.
“Today, while observing this junction, I didn’t witness a single cyclist intending to take the third exit follow the roundabout in the normal direction of travel,” Hill said in his latest post.
“Instead, every cyclist I observed taking that exit cut across and cycled against the flow of traffic around part of the roundabout. This included parents cycling with their children. That should concern everyone, regardless of whether you drive, cycle, or walk.
“If people are routinely choosing to cycle against the flow of traffic rather than follow the intended route around a roundabout, we need to ask why. Good highway design should make the safest route the obvious and natural route. So, how could this design be improved?”
He continued in the comments: “When an electrician comes to your house, you don’t expect them to leave live wires hanging out of the wall if they haven’t finished the job. This is the equivalent, when a new section of road or cycle path is built, you should expect it to connect safely to the existing carriageway.
“The end of this cycle path invites cyclists to cross the road, so as you are crossing you start to look for the next part of the recommend path as indicated by the sign circled in red, but you then discover a pavement that is not inviting to cyclists, meaning that going the wrong way around 1/4 of the roundabout becomes the most obvious route. Don’t worry I will write to DCC officers about all of this, but asking for opinions on social media is a good sanity test.”
Hmm, not sure about that, Ed.
In any case, the independent Devon County Councillor asked the “sanity test” that is social media why cyclists are riding against the flow of traffic, and he got his answer. In short – it’s because he’s helped delay active travel safety improvements to the roundabout thanks to a row over a ‘cycling-only’ road in another part of Exeter.
Earlier this year, we reported that the future of Dryden Road, a low-traffic route which has been closed to motorists since the pandemic, has been left up in the air after it was revealed that active travel funds could be used to reopen the ‘cycling only’ road to motorists.
That move was branded a “disgrace” by cycling campaigners, who have accused the council of risking “sacrificing safety for drivers’ benefit”.
Hill has been one of the councillors pushing for Dryden Road to be reopened to drivers during the protracted saga, which has been beset by confusion, controversial redesigns, and a stop-start consultation process, leading to delays on work on other schemes in Exeter.
But instead of getting these kinds of improvements moving along, Hill is more interested in engaging in “Facebook culture wars”, cycling campaigners says.
“You know that small thing you have been going around in circles on HATOC for the entire time you have been a councillor. This is the project that has been delayed because of it,” James Maddison pointed out in the comments.
“Perhaps speak to the officers first instead, this project is in the design pipeline. That would be much more useful of everyone’s time, as you voted to approve the funding and development of this project.
“Instead you are again attempting to create a Facebook culture war and showing your inability to do your jobs as an elected official correctly. Your actions on Dryden have consequences and this is one of them.”
For context, Hill – who we’ve been told used to work as a driving instructor – is a former Reform UK member who is now the independent councillor for Pinhoe & Mincinglake following his expulsion from the party in July 2025 for publishing a letter about free school meals citing names of all Devon’s Reform councillors without their consent.
He then joined the now-dissolved Advance UK party, but was also expelled from that in May of this year following a ‘grooming gang row’ according to Devon Live.
“He may end up getting censured by the council if he pushes his luck,” James told road.cc. If only…
“Looks like hell”: Awesome or boring? Clip of Regent’s Park packed with cyclists divides opinion
It should probably come as no surprise, since it’s still the summer and all, that Regent’s Park is, ahem, fairly busy with people on bikes at the moment.
And one clip of that two-wheeled congestion, filmed at 7am on Tuesday morning, has divided opinion within the cycling community:
View this post on Instagram
“As a cyclist I cannot think of anywhere more boring to ride,” soup_3458 wrote on Instagram, while The Yorkshire Wheeler simply said: “Looks like hell”.
Others were more enthralled by the spectacle, with justjevens writing: “One of the things I miss most about living in London. Awesome community. If it’s on your doorstep and beats stopping at traffic lights every 15 metres, it’ll do.”
“‘That looks boring’: people who have never been there,” added badgercyclist. “7am is a bit late and busy though. Time for coffee!”
Oh, good idea…
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@mdavidford don't worry, he can work well with people on social media: "...asking for opinions on social media is a good sanity test.”
When you've even expelled yourself as an independent you really have to start questioning your ability to work well with others...
Re Ed Hill. Re the turn into the side road. You are supposed to give way to pedestrians crossing the road. Why not cyclists on a cycle lane? Re the roundabout. The cyclists are crossing the road from one cycle lane to another not cycling against the vehicle traffic flow. You dopy old self-centered twat. And next time you are out in the countryside in your camper can, see if you can find your mahogony ex-Oberfuhrer Von Farage. He will probably be in a field, recording some irrelevant self serving self pitying press conference, or arranging some dodgy crypto currency transfer.
This might have been covered elsewhere already, but the other thing very few people seem to be aware of, including the enforcement officers, is that it is perfectly legal for a pre 2016 bike to have a hand throttle that can propel the bike without pedalling. The 15.5mph still applies, so the motor must cut out once you reach that speed. Immediate assistance is by far the best set up when starting on a hill or moving away from junctions in heavy traffic.
I don't need to read any further than that eye watering price.
Another example of an unduly lenient sentence, which is particularly galling in light of the driver's history?
Lovely colours on that C:68X.
I worked in outside broadcast (mostly sport) for a quarter of a century, and although I didn’t astutely monitor the situation, one could easily notice the differences in diversity according to sport. Football - very diverse. Boxing, also diverse. Athletics also diverse - especially at international championships. Formula 1 - white. I also covered many ‘minor’ sports like basketball, hockey, swimming. Basket ball was diverse but the latter were white. I never worked at a single cycling event now that I think about it and one thing was certain, the TV crews were exclusively white.
And how are those attracted/paid for? Through bigger audiences. There are 53 million black people in the USA, and around 1.2 billion in Africa. How much extra sponsorship and TV coverage do you think women's racing might get if there were a few black US and African women competing? That's not, in your idiotic phrase, "wokeism", it's good sound commercial common sense.
@chrisonabike I don't know how they would get confused - one's called Jack and one's called Nigel.
3 thoughts on “Children cycling “wrong way around roundabout” latest target of ex-Reform councillor who claimed cyclists should give way to cars – but critics argue he’s delayed safety scheme; Regent’s Park bike jam splits opinion; Cyclist v Tank + more on the live blog”
Re Ed Hill.
Re the turn into the side road. You are supposed to give way to pedestrians crossing the road. Why not cyclists on a cycle lane?
Re the roundabout. The cyclists are crossing the road from one cycle lane to another not cycling against the vehicle traffic flow.
You dopy old self-centered twat.
And next time you are out in the countryside in your camper can, see if you can find your mahogony ex-Oberfuhrer Von Farage. He will probably be in a field, recording some irrelevant self serving self pitying press conference, or arranging some dodgy crypto currency transfer.
When you’ve even expelled yourself as an independent you really have to start questioning your ability to work well with others…
@mdavidford don’t worry, he can work well with people on social media: “…asking for opinions on social media is a good sanity test.”