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Bank Junction before it was closed to traffic other than buses and cyclists (licensed CC BY 2.0 by Ronnie Macdonald)Taxi protest over Bank junction branded 'misguided'
A taxi protest planned today against a daytime ban on all vehicles bar buses at Bank junction has been called misguided by cycling and walking charities who say changes would improve safety as well as benefiting journey times.
The 18 month trial by the City of London Corporation will see the junction, on which cyclist Ying Tao was killed in 2015, closed to all traffic bar buses, cycles and people on foot between 7am and 7pm. There were more than 100 collisions at Bank in the period 2010-14. Seventy-five per cent were between those times, with people on foot and bikes the main casualties.
The RMT union claims the cause of congestion is a rise in Uber vehicles on the road, and that people are taking to cycling out of “desperation”. The taxi protest will take place this afternoon from 5pm.
Meanwhile, cycling and walking campaigners are backing the City, who say changes will save lives and improve the public realm, while reducing driver journey times by around half a minute by bypassing the “inefficient” Bank junction.
“This is not about cars versus bicycles, or pedestrians versus taxis,” said Ashok Sinha, CEO of the London Cycling Campaign. “It’s about stopping more terrible fatalities, celebrating the City’s iconic buildings and spaces, and making the area a hugely more attractive place to work, do business and visit. That’s good for everyone – including those taxi drivers misguidedly protesting today, whose journey times through the area are actually set to improve when these plans go ahead.”
Tompion Platt, Head of Policy and Communications, Living Streets said: “The vast majority of people using Bank Junction are on foot – 18,000 in the morning peak. For everyone walking and cycling there, Bank Junction is woefully inadequate. It’s hugely polluted, overcrowded and unsafe – as demonstrated by its shocking casualty record. These changes will improve Bank Junction for everyone who works, lives and visits the City by making it a safer and healthier place.”
In a blog for road.cc, the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee Chairman, Christopher Hayward writes: “A number of casualties and fatalities have highlighted very real concerns about safety at this junction. With cyclists now making up to 50% of the traffic crossing the junction in peak times, we felt that it was fundamental that cyclist safety be seen as a very important.
“I would like to underline that this is an experimental scheme. It may last up to 18 months, but the scheme will be under regular review.”
According to the City of London’s own statistics between 64 and 77 per cent of casualties at Bank are people on foot or bikes. Forty-six cyclists were injured between 2010 and 2014, six seriously, with eight serious pedestrian casualties in the same timeframe. Forty-five per cent of collisions occur in the centre of the six-road intersection.
The majority of collisions occur in daylight, most between 8am and 8.59am, the most common cause being pedestrians stepping off pavements into the path of vehicles. The second most common cause was vehicles turning left during daylight hours. Data also shows there were nine reported collisions between pedestrians and cyclists in the five years, seven slight, and two serious.
The City of London calculates from previous collision data a bus and cycle only junction would result in an 85 per cent casualty reduction; if taxis were also permitted, there is the potential for eight additional cycling casualties and two pedestrian casualties over four years, it says.
The City’s analysis (above) shows the traffic impact of the scheme to be neutral overall, with a small delay on some streets, while others will see reduced journey times. With buses and cycles only through Bank, average general traffic journey times around Bank in 2018 would be 7 minutes, as opposed to 7.5 in a “do nothing” scenario.
Allowing taxis through the junction would produce a similar, or longer journey time as in the do nothing scenario. The City’s explanation for this is the six arm junction is inefficient at moving traffic. By reallocating green traffic light time to more efficient surrounding junctions, it says, journeys may be longer in distance, but faster overall.
London Cycling Campaign’s Infrastructure Campaigner, Simon Munk, told road.cc: “The idea that there is some absolute need for taxis to get through is a fallacy; they’re going to be allowed right up to the junction, they just won’t be able to get through it.
“This seems to be some kind of ideological battle on their part, despite the fact modelling shows they are better off out of Bank junction and despite the fact City have shown there is very little in the way of pick-ups and drop-offs there. The question is why they are demanding access.”
The protest, planned by the United Cabbies Group, is scheduled for this evening, from 5pm. The junction is expected to be closed from 4.30pm.
In an article on the RMT’s website a bizarre statement blames Uber for the problems at Bank, and says an overcrowded tube system means people are “turning out of desperation to commuting by bicycle … despite its impracticality”.
RMT General Secretary, Mick Cash, said: “RMT agrees with proposals which improve public safety, but it is clear that the driving factor behind the decision is to improve bus journey times under a buckling road network.
“Black cabs are an integral part of the public transport system and as the data shows, one of the safest.
“The decision to close Bank Junction to traffic is a comicly [sic] inept one, made exceptionally bitter as the Mayor promised greater access to road space for black cabs.”
Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.
Latest Comments
- mark1a 2 hours 29 min ago
I understand what you're saying, but I think when you get north of £10k, for the average amateur road.cc reader who maybe in the market for a so...
- brooksby 5 hours 37 min ago
They haven't been seen for ages- did they get banned?
- eburtthebike 5 hours 43 min ago
They prefer their alternative facts to real ones. They believe something, therefore it must be true.
- Spangly Shiny 6 hours 55 min ago
Sorry, no idea what you are on about.
- ktache 6 hours 58 min ago
For double that you can' get a Pedro's vise whip Ii. Or half, the reportedly excellent decathlon thingy. And Sigma has the Silca for only £150.
- KDee 7 hours 4 min ago
I'm no detective, but the "NOAHFAST" decal vertically stickered on the headtube is a little bit of a clue.
- Spangly Shiny 7 hours 24 min ago
I remember my driving test examiner, straight after congratulating me for having passed the test said, "Don't be a twat and have that as your best...
- Bigfoz 9 hours 32 min ago
Did they think it was a drive thru?
- Rendel Harris 9 hours 42 min ago
As a teacher's husband, I'm allowed to watch up to 50km out (unless it's a big mountain stage when I can only watch up to the start of the first HC...
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23 comments
Looks like it's happening 22 May http://www.cityam.com/263786/revealed-city-london-has-set-date-car-ban-b...
Only 2 additional pedestrian injuries would be caused by taxis in a 4 year period? I know that junction, and I find that highly questionable having witnessed the risky behaviour of pedestrians around there.
It was lovely last night ( apart from the sleet ). I rode around the St Pauls area on my way home and the roads were gridlocked or empty, both making it much easier to pootle home. Thank you Taxi drivers for your protest, can you do a few more ???
Probably worth specifying that the plan is to ban all *motor* vehicles except buses. Justsaying.
Is it not the responsibility of the senior spokespeople for any organisation to fact check and verify the content of official statements? I don't think it adds to the credibility of either Mr Cash or the RMT that they are just repeating what someone told them.
My guess is that they are anti bicycle as every cyclist is one less hostage available as a bargaining chip for their member centric demands.
No, that's what Press Officers are for, in this case I think the Press Officer responsible for the Taxi drivers has not done their job properly which I why I suggested we contact RMT directly.
But this public statement has gone out with the RMT's name against it: the RMT is responsible for it.
Edit: assumed you referred to the LTDA - you might have been referring to someone in the RMT as 'the Press Officer responsible for the Taxi drivers ' in which case I misinterpreted and I agree with you.
Yep, I referrering to the RMT Press Office, sorry if that was not clear. They will have put out a release based on info provided by their Taxi driving members, as this is a very busy period for RMT, this press release may have not been vetted properly and released with poorly investigated statements. I'm a Trade Union member and will be getting my TU to raise this with RMT as their description of cyclists is insulting to other Trade Unionists.
I ride through the twice a day everyday and yes there's a lot of Peds and cyclists and it would be ace if there was less traffic overall but why stop taxi's?
The main problem are buses blocking the crossing and cycle lane, trucks, vans and lorries just not giving a fuck, why cars are even driving in that part of London is a mystery but anyway taxis are not the issue.
Bank station is red light jumping cyclists central, I've long since given up trying to talk sense into them.
The best way forward is ban private vehicles Inc all commercial vehicles, heavy enforce ment of the road laws ie red lights, ASL and ipeds, basically drum some common sense back into people.
I'd say the answer is because they take up disproportionate road space for the small number of people they actually move around. And because they aren't, in reality, 'public transport' because only a small proportion of the public can afford to use them.
And because they pump out a lot of diesel filth (I've lost patience with waiting for them to change that).
True but they're not a danger to us or Peds which is the main reason for this restriction isn't it?
for obvious reasons - that is the safest time to proceed - there is a clear problem with this junction which is encouraging that behaviour
errr - you don't ride in the city much do you
people are taking to cycling out of “desperation”
True, much better to stop pedestrians and cyclists, put them all in cars and see how quick you get through Bank then...
The day taxi drivers are knocked of their inexplicable pedestal cannot come soon enough.
Fook a duck:
"The decision to close Bank Junction to traffic is a comicly inept one, made exceptionally bitter as the Mayor promised greater access to road space for black cabs."
Could they not even spell-check it?
overcompensating for all those people who write "publically".
The RMT can get fucked as can Mick Cash. Smash the unions.
Walking around the Bank area is stressful enough and I can only imagine what it's like to cycle round there. The improvements are a good move in my opinion.
The "demonstration" will only add further to fuel to the us vs them fire which isn't really needed. Morons.
I try hard to see the good in all people and organisations. I have even met nice and considerate taxi drivers.
But really, the RMT are tosspots.
This is their statement.
http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/taxi-protest-today-over-bank-junction-closure/
It includes arsewipery like this: Despite its impracticality, there has been an explosion in the number of people commuting by bike. Astonishingly, 30% of road traffic traversing Bank Junction are now cyclists.
Idiots.
I'm going to disagree with this and all the comments regarding RMT and Mick Cash. We have to consider that RMT is required to represent and protect it's members and that Mick Cash will be repeating information provided by the Taxi drivers and their representatives. A better option would be to contact Mick Cash and/or RMT Press Office directly and ask for a response to the discrepancies both privately and publicly. If they fail to comply, complain to the TUC and to your own TU reps, if you are a union member. You can also use your BC /Cycling UK memberships to get them to challenge RMT inaccurate statements. Remember it's the Taxi drivers that are doing the lying both to their leadership and to you.
There's no need to use the emotive language that they have - 'impracticality', 'astonishingly', 'explosion' just in that snippet - in such a negative way. If they have just copied and pasted what the LTDA have given them, they need stick for being so lazy and uncritical.
The UK today is ripe for unions. Zero hour contracts, fatcat salaries, workers being paid less than minimum wage and dodgy gangmasters. Even in the RMT's domain we have failing franchises, overcrowding and botched separation of rolling stock and infrastructure. Yet they persist with picking the wrong battles in blind defence of members who often have it pretty good, thank you.
Quite plainly RMT and its associated organisations are at pains to cause general travel misery and danger to Londoners.
Never mind all that; Tompion Platt - awesome name.