Safety Posters Cause Road Rage Amongst Cyclists

TfL literature reported to have been destroyed by council after complaints

Hundreds of TFL road safety posters have been destroyed by local councils because they have angered cycling groups.

These posters suggest that all cyclists need to wear the same type of clothing and equipment as professional cyclists. It has also been alleged that neither the Mayor of London nor the Cycling Centre of Excellence approved the campaign.

Commenting on this, Tony Arbour Assembly Member for Hounslow said, “This seems to be a shocking waste of money by the inept Transport for London. An urgent review of the systems that are in place must be carried out not to allow such a mistake to happen again. I have also written to the chief executive of Hounslow council asking them how many posters each council has received and how they are to be destroyed.

“This has angered the cycling community with the implication that you can only go cycling if you are wearing the same as the professionals riding the Tour de France!”

The problem with the posters comes a few weeks after it was revealed that one of the key firms of consultants on travel policy employed by TfL had been advising its staff not to travel to work by bike for safety reasons.

Hounslow Council are currently unable to confirm how many, if any, posters were removed.

August 17, 2007