London Mayor’s bike tsar admits ‘Floating’ bus stops ‘really feel harmful’

Sadiq Khan‘s plans for ‘Floating’ bus stops have taken a blow immediately after leaked knowledge revealed that 60 per cent of cyclists refuse to provide approach at zebra crossings. 

Documents present that greater than half of cyclists don’t cease at London‘s 121 floating bus stops’ zebra crossings, prompting the London mayor’s biking commissioner to confess they ‘really feel harmful’, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

The analysis additionally revealed that two pedestrians have been severely at such websites whereas one other two individuals suffered minor accidents.   

‘Floating bus stops’ – additionally known as ‘shared use bus boarders’ (SUBBs) – have a cycle lane between the bus shelter and the street – forcing passengers to enterprise by means of incoming bike visitors to board their bus. 

Transport officers have beforehand described them as ‘polished turds’ and stated they weren’t inclusive to individuals with disabilities, with one mobility scooter person stating he can be ‘anxious’ to board or exit a bus from a cycle lane.

Sadiq Khan’s plans for ‘Floating’ bus stops have taken a blow immediately after leaked knowledge revealed that 60 per cent of cyclists refuse to provide approach at zebra crossings

The knowledge prompted the London mayor’s biking commissioner Will Norman (pictured) to confess they ‘really feel harmful’

‘Floating bus stops’ forcing passengers to enterprise by means of incoming bike visitors to board their bus

The knowledge was collected by Transport for London as a part of analysis commissioned by the London Mayor in March final yr. TfL recorded 24 hours of hour video at eight of the floting bus stops in London. 

The findings unveiled Mr Khan’s biking commissioner Will Norman at a gathering of twenty-two ‘energetic journey’ and incapacity marketing campaign teams on the finish of final yr.

He confirmed attendees a slideshow presentation, which has been seen by The Telegraph and said that ‘bus cease bypasses might be troublesome and really feel harmful, significantly for older and disabled’ individuals.

It added: ‘Where there was a pedestrian/bike owner interplay, a major variety of cyclists didn’t yield to pedestrians (60 per cent did not yield, in comparison with 40 per cent that did).

‘Most usually non-yielding concerned the pedestrian ready till the cyclists had handed, some events the cyclists would go the pedestrian on the crossing, and different events the pedestrian didn’t cross in any respect and continued to face on the crossing till a bus arrived.’

The knowledge revealed that 623 pedestrians have been injured after hit by a bike owner in London between 2020 and 2022. Four of those happened at ‘Floating’ bus stops.

Despite the alarming figures Mr Norman concluded that ‘the casualty knowledge reveals there’s a low threat of a pedestrian/biking casualty at a bus cease bypass in London’. 

A bus pulls up at a ‘floating’ bus cease in London which permits bicycles to overhaul safely on the close to facet

Mr Norman admitted that ‘bus cease bypasses might be troublesome and really feel harmful, significantly for older and disabled’ individuals

Mr Norman concluded that ‘the casualty knowledge reveals there’s a low threat of a pedestrian/biking casualty at a bus cease bypass in London’

It comes after paperwork launched beneath the Freedom of Information Act revealed a panel of 10 incapacity consultants have been unimpressed by the bus cease designs throughout a gathering of TfL’s Independent Disability Advisory Group (IDAG) in October 2020.

While the panel agreed the designs have been an ‘enchancment’ on earlier designs, shared use bus stops weren’t inclusive to individuals with disabilities, with one mobility scooter person stating he can be ‘anxious’ to board or exit a bus from a cycle lane.

The assembly notes, additionally printed by The Telegraph, stated: ‘There was additionally sturdy settlement that this design was, in essence, ‘sharpening a turd’ i.e. it was nonetheless a turd, however a greater one.’

Former Labour Hackney councillor Vincent Stops, who labored for London TravelWatch, a London transport watchdog, and revealed the IDAG doc, stated such bus stops had proved problematic for blind passengers.

He stated: ‘But nonetheless many instances TfL was instructed blind individuals could not use them, nobody would pay attention.’

IDAG chairman Joanna Wootten stated her group would maintain feeding again to TfL to make sure they will handle the ‘limitations’ posed by sure bus cease designs.

She added: ‘IDAG will proceed to advise and help TfL in mitigating any limitations confronted resulting from sure bus cease designs.’

Bus cease boarders have grow to be extra prevalent within the capital for the reason that pandemic, throughout which London Mayor Sadiq Khan rolled out 62 miles of cycle lanes in simply 12 months.

According to the Highway Code: ‘Cyclists ought to give strategy to pedestrians on shared use cycle tracks’ and that they ‘ought to at all times take care when passing pedestrians, particularly kids, older or disabled individuals, and permit them loads of room’.

It provides, bikers ought to: ‘Always be ready to decelerate and cease if vital’.