Camden Road cyclist death: Protesters to bring traffic to a halt at spot where Ardian Zagani died
A cyclist was killed in Camden Road on Tuesday morning. Picture: @sidman10001/Twitter - Credit: Archant
A radical cycling action group has arranged a “die-in” protest over the “horrendous” safety of Camden Road in Holloway.
Stop Killing Cyclists protesters lie in the road during a 'die-in' outside Transport for London's Blackfriars Road HQ in 2015. Picture: Becky Barnes/PA Archive - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images
Activists from Stop Killing Cyclists will lie in the road for 10 minutes at about 6pm on Monday, disrupting traffic and explaining the reason for their protest to motorists.
It follows the death of a cyclist at Camden Road’s junction with Brecknock Road on Tuesday morning. The cyclist, a man in his 30s who has been named as Ardian Zagani, suffered fatal injuries after a collision with a Ford Transit van.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. She has been released without charge.
Stop Killing Cyclists is calling for Transport for London (TfL), which operates the major “red route”, to improve safety measures in Camden Road.
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Co-organiser Nicola Branch told the Gazette this afternoon: “I visited yesterday and met the police officer who was first on the scene on Tuesday. I saw the marks in the road where the incident happened. And I was horrified at the speed cars were travelling at along this road.
“Monday’s die-in will remember his life, but also call on TfL to improve its protection of cyclists. I saw absolutely horrendous driving, and cyclists are very much the canary in the coalmine.
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“I speak to people who are too scared to cycle, and say to me: ‘Oh, you are so brave cycling in London.’ I think that’s nuts. If people fear for their safety on a bicycle, what kind of city are we living in?”
Ms Branch, a motorist herself since 1983, added: “We are calling for protected infrastructure on Camden Road, like the bike lanes you see on Blackfriars Bridge. It needs traffic calming measures.
“Pedestrians also need protection, with proper crossings. When I was at the scene, I saw two people trying to cross the road and standing in the middle of the island.”
The vigil and “die-in” is expected to begin at 6pm on Monday in Camden Road’s junction with Hilldrop Crescent.
