Cyclists may be forced to obey a new rule at some London bus stops. Blind and partially sighted people in the city said they are scared to use ‘floating’ stops, which feature a cycle lane, as they fear being hit.
MyLondon was told in May by disabled Londoners that they feel ‘locked out’ of parts of the capital as a result. In May, TfL and Mr Khan’s cycling tsar insisted that there is a ‘very low risk’ of cyclists hitting pedestrians at floating London bus stops.
However, an audit found that cyclists’ behaviour needs to be improved, and ‘several bus stop bypasses have incorrect tactile paving, no zebra crossing or the bus stop island is too narrow’. It came after a video showed a cyclist seemingly colliding with a pedestrian at the Westminster Bridge stop outside St. Thomas’ Hospital.
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Sadiq Khan has now has acknowledged that ‘badly laid out bus stop bypasses multiply issues for blind and partially sighted people’. The issue was with the Mayor of London by Green Party London Assembly Member Caroline Russell. She asked: “Has Transport for London (TfL) considered the findings of the March 2024 report, inclusive design at bus stops with cycle tracks, from Living Streets, or made an assessment of its recommendations and conclusions?
“Do you have plans to incorporate any of these into your ongoing work on bus stop bypasses, and if so, which ones?”
Updates needed at ‘non-compliant’ bus stop bypasses
Mr Khan replied on Tuesday (July 23): “Transport for London (TfL) has reviewed the findings and recommendations of the Inclusive design at bus stops with cycle tracks report 2024 by Living Streets and will incorporate them, where appropriate, into the next steps of its work on bus stop bypasses.
“For example, the Living Streets report states the level of discomfort people experience in using these bus stops, when well designed, is low but badly laid out bus stop bypasses multiply issues for blind and partially sighted people. As part of TfL’s ongoing work on bus stop bypasses, it is working with boroughs to update non-compliant bus stop bypasses so they are in line, where possible, with TfL’s existing design guidance.
“The recommendations relating to design and design guidance will be considered as part of the design review of bus stop bypasses that TfL is taking forward with stakeholders. TfL is also ready to participate in any future work with the Department for Transport to consider Living Streets’ recommended changes to the Highway Code regarding hand signals to indicate when a cyclist is slowing down.”
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