Jenny Jones criticises Boris Johnson for consistent under-delivery to cyclists and of being “dangerously complacent about safety on our roads” as the road safety budget is cut £35m.
Image courtesy of Epson291.
The trend in the rate of cycling casualties got worse in 2012, according to new figures from Transport for London. The figures also showed that the growth in cycling has slowed and on average it has grown less quickly under Boris Johnson than it did under the previous Mayor.
The average annual growth in cycling was an increase of 22,000 cycle stages/trips a day, during the previous administration (2000-2008). There has been an average increase of 18,000 cycle stages/trips a day, for every year that Boris Johnson has been in charge (2008-2012).
Jenny Jones said: “This Mayor has made a lot of promises to cyclists, but has under-delivered time and time again. The talk has always been bigger than the delivery and the Mayor has been blind to the additional dangers to cyclists that his policies of smoothing traffic flow have created. Boris Johnson now needs to focus his personal time and energy on doing what was needed six years ago, with safer junctions, separation of cyclists from HGVs and giving more space for people of all ages to cycle safely.”
“Boris Johnson cut £35m off the annual road safety budget and then ignored all the warnings that his plans were inadequate and unsafe. He has constantly under-spent his cycling budget because he was dangerously complacent about safety on our roads. He told his engineers to prioritise traffic flow and busting traffic jams rather than the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. He has refused to listen to sensible advice from local cycling campaigners and he still isn’t.”