Taxi Driver Online

The Evening Standard (London)

September 20, 2006 Wednesday

HEADLINE: Crackdown on rogue cyclists but drivers are more at fault

BYLINE: ROSS LYDALL

DAY TWO of the Mayor's crackdown on rogue cyclists and within seconds, the Met police swung into action.

No sooner had one offender been spotted in Tooley Street, London Bridge, than he had an officer, clad in fluorescent jacket and a cycle helmet riding a mountain bike, ordering him to pull over.

However, the suspect in question was on four wheels, not two. He was driving a lorry that had pulled up at traffic lights bang in the middle of the box meant for cyclists. This turned out to be the pattern for the morning.

There were at least twice as many offences committed by taxi, van and bus drivers as those on two wheels.

The Evening Standard was invited to join Transport for London and the Met' s joint operation targeting cyclists who ride through red lights and on pavements.

It also focuses on motorists who fail to share the road with cyclists and those who persist in using mobile phones on the move. The Met team was in Islington yesterday and will be in Westminster and Ealing this week.

Five police cyclists operated as a team. The first two hours produced 17 verbal warnings and eight fixed penalty notices. One to receive a 60 Pounds fine was thought to be a taxi driver, who also lost his passenger.

A TfL spokesman said that while there is a pressing need to improve cyclist skills and behaviour, on today's evidence the vast majority of cyclists showed themselves to be lawabiding and respectful of the Highway Code.

Chief Inspector Malcolm Beveridge said: "This is all about casualty reduction, improving traffic flow and standards of behaviour."
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The only reason cyclists behaved is because the police were there.

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stressed controller!!!