Boris 'thanks' Tube union boss for encouraging cycling to work

Boris Johnson has ‘congratulated’ London Underground union leader Bob Crow for boosting cycling during the recent Tube strikes.

With his customary tongue-in-cheek, London’s mayor thanked Bob Crow ‘for all he did’ to encourage commuters to use two-wheels as the capital ground to a standstill.

But even as he reinforced his ‘cycling revolution’ message in a debate with the editor of The London Paper, Boris took a swipe at cyclists who breached current traffic laws.

During a debate chaired by Stefano Hatfield, the mayor said the capital’s first bike-hire scheme and the introduction of dedicated super highways on the busiest roads would transform the city for London’s cyclists.

He said he had high hopes for the scheme, modelled on the Paris Vélib, which will see 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations installed throughout London next year.

But facing complaints during a question and answer session about cyclists adhering to road safety, he said he would consider stiffer penalties.

"Cyclists need to behave too," he said. "A small minority are letting us cyclists down. They need to stop mounting the pavements and terrorising pedestrians. We need to have a few exemplary punishments."

He said the Tube strike last month saw a 20 per cent increase in commuters turning to pedal power.

"It was a massive boost for cycling," he said. "I congratulate Bob Crow for everything he did."