Harriet Harman

Former MP for Camberwell and Peckham

Press Statement: Call for summit on cycle safety following death

It’s heartbreaking that another cyclist has died on the roads in London. First and foremost, our thoughts are with his family and friends.


Of course we need lorries to deliver goods in London but we also want people to feel, and to know, that they can cycle safely.


Safe cycling is good healthy exercise, is cheaper than public transport and cuts congestion and pollution. But we cannot go on with this tragic death toll of cyclists.

That is why I am calling on the Mayor of London and London councils to immediately convene a summit on keeping London’s cyclists safe.


Six deaths in two weeks is clearly a warning sign that something must be done. The authorities are not working together in the way that they could be. The Mayor, Councils, MP’s and London Assembly Members - we all need to come together to seriously consider how to make cycling safe.


I strongly support Southwark Council’s proposal for a ‘safe cycling hour’ during the morning and evening rush hours without HGV’s on the roads This is an important proposal and should be considered. It would give people the confidence to cycle who don't now because they are worried about their safety.


Cycling is a good thing – it keeps people healthy, cuts down on traffic jams and pollution, and it’s a cheap way to travel. We should be encouraging and helping cyclists; not making them pay with their lives.”

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