Londoners are being forced to store their bikes in hard-to-reach places such as bathrooms, hallways and next to their beds as demand for secure bike storage soars.
A rise in demand for secure bike storage has seen cyclists in London face waiting times of up to four years for space, with more than 60,000 people now on waiting lists across the capital city. Six months ago there were just over 47,000 Londoners waiting for a bicycle parking space.
Data obtained by the Clean Cities campaign revealed that there are currently 60,715 Londoners on waiting lists for secure cycle parking, with only 22,592 spaces available in Greater London.
Demand is highest in Southwark, where more than 8,500 people have joined a waiting list for a shed. Camden and Islington also saw high levels of demand, with waiting lists of 7,307 and 6,963 respectively.
Read more: London cycling schemes face ‘horrendous’ cuts, campaigners warn
A coalition of clean air organizations led by the Clean Cities Campaign is calling on Londoners to share images of the awkward places where they have to store their bikes, using the hashtag #ThisIsAwkward on social media. Photos shared so far show cyclists storing their bikes in bathtubs, next to toilets and in cramped hallways.
The coalition is urging candidates in the upcoming municipal elections to commit to building more secure bike storage to meet the level of demand.
Oliver Lord, the UK head of the Clean Cities Campaign, said it was ‘completely unfair’ that cyclists faced such long waits to park ‘given the abundance of car space on our streets’ .
Read more: Political tussle over TfL shouldn’t put Londoners’ health at risk
He said: “Over 60,000 Londoners are waiting for cycle storage space – and these are just the people lucky enough to have the time and energy to come forward. If councilors want to help Londoners jump on a bike and use their cars less, they need to make it as simple as possible. Forcing people to do “bike salsa” at home isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s grossly unfair given the abundance of car space on our streets.
“By not providing the secure cycle parking we need, London councilors are failing residents who want to do the right thing and are neglecting their duties to reduce air pollution, tackle the climate crisis and help prevent the 400 bike thefts that occur every week.”
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-23 11:48:29
