Cycling protesters will stage a second “die-in” in two months after a City trader died following a crash in Pentonville Road on his morning commute.
Jerome Roussel, 51, died in hospital in June, weeks after a HGV collided with his bike on May 2.
On November 8, the same day Mr Roussel’s inquest opens, action group Stop Killing Cyclists will lie down in Upper Street outside Islington Town Hall to protest the “borough’s lack of cycling infrastructure”, though the town hall says it is committed to making cycling as safe as possible.
Co-founder Donnachadh McCarthy said: “Islington desperately needs a protected cycling network to allow its children, adults and pensioners to be able to cycle in the borough, without fear of death.
“Their failure to build any decent infrastructure since 2010 is a disgrace. Genuinely safer quietways would have congested parking removed and rat-runs closed.”
Caspar Hughes, co-organiser, added: “Whilst in the face of the UK government’s refusal to do anything to make HGVs safer, we welcome the London Mayor’s five-year plan for safer HGVs.
“However, he must urgently require all HGVs to have CCTV. No lethal trucks should be blindly driven on London’s streets. This carnage needs to end.”
A similar protest was held in September following the death of cyclist Adrian Zagani in Camden Road. Mr Zagani’s bike collided with a Ford Transit van and the driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, before being released without charge.
No arrests have been made over Mr Roussel’s death.
Islington’s transport chief Cllr Claudia Webbe, said she was extremely saddened by Mr Roussel’s death.
She added: “We are challenging the Mayor of London to tackle the safety concerns on TfL’s roads such as Pentonville Road, where the council does not have the authority to make changes. A good start would be for TfL to also make its roads 20mph.
“We are actively working with TfL to introduce safer cycling routes on quieter roads – avoiding known accident hotspots and sensitive junctions.
“Working with the Mayor of London and TfL we are delivering better cycle routes across the borough, including cycle super-highways where segregated cycle tracks are being implemented.
“Next month work begins on construction of the last section of the North-South Cycle Superhighway, which runs through Islington, which includes segregated cycling on Farringdon Road up to Farringdon Station.
“In recent years we have done a great deal to improve cycle safety and continue to do so, from being the first borough in London to introduce 20mph limits on our roads, to campaigning for the removal of dangerous gyratories at Archway, Old Street, Highbury Corner, King’s Cross and Nags Head.
“Islington is a cycling friendly borough, and we are committed to making cycling as safe and easy as possible. We want more people to cycle and will not rest until every road is safe, and we stand with those who are also working hard for change.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here