I did a quick radio interview yesterday afternoon with Jack Thurston, who presents the Bike Show on the excellent Resonance FM.
We were talking about Cycle Superhighways. I presume he'll edit out my expletives before the show goes out.
Route CS7, Merton to City, will charge up Southwark Bridge Road. This already has a mandatory green cycle lane on it in both directions. According to the Cambridge Cycling Campaign, 'mandatory' means that no vehicle may enter the lane, and they may not park in it. According to the taxi drivers on Southwark Bridge Road, 'mandatory' means 'park where you like and have a fag'.
So on the evidence of yesterday, CS7 will be blocked by illegally parked taxis and cabs just as the cycle lane is now.
Southbound, on single yellows, was this procession (above right) of parked TfL-licensed cabs yesterday. It was 3.15pm. That presumably counts as evening, because it seemed they'd knocked off for the day.
Northbound (right) was this black cab, sat on double yellows. He obligingly left it there half an hour while I went home, had some tea, got my camera, and came back. Amazing how the number plate is yet again appropriate (see also 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.)
based on the dent at the back, whatever rear-ended the black taxi previously was significantly larger than a bike.
ReplyDelete"no vehicle may enter the lane"...
ReplyDeletein fact, taxis are allowed to pick up or set down passengers in a mandatory cycle lane. I don't think minicabs count as taxis however.