• JOHN A Hartley of London Living Streets supports the removal of the refuges on Prince of Wales Road and says it represents the policy of London Living Streets because it means a pedestrian can cross the road in one go, (The plan for Prince of Wales Road will provide places for pedestrians to cross, October 4).

I invite anyone to stand on the existing pavement of Prince of Wales Road, where there is an island, and see if they would feel safer crossing from a slightly wider pavement but without a refuge so when they start they have to be certain there is no traffic in either direction.

He talks of pedestrians being “stranded in the middle amid traffic fumes”. This isn’t a busy street in the West End where pedestrians can get “stranded” due to some crossings having two green men with separate timings. This is Prince of Wales Road where you can choose, taking your safety into account, whether to cross in either one or two goes.

He, on behalf of London Living Streets, also supports the whole scheme, including cyclists being able to ride onto the pavement on the corner of Haverstock Hill and Prince of Wales. We know this as, on the Camden Cycling Campaign’s open discussion forum, on behalf of LLS, he says so. Surely that damns any contribution from Living Streets as claiming to support the safety and interests of pedestrians.

Living Streets was originally the Pedestrian Association. It changed its name, but not its purpose, to Living Streets so it remains the only organisation dedicated to looking after the interests, not least the safety, of pedestrians. It is sad to find its name being associated with pavement cycling and removal of refuges. Mr Hartley is a leading London and Camden Cycling campaigner.

There is no reason why enthusiastic cyclists shouldn’t campaign for pedestrians, indeed most of the more vocal and effective Living Streets campaigners when I was Living Streets’s contact for Camden were or had been keen cyclists. But some caution seems to have been lacking here to avoid conflict of interests.

NICK HARDING
St Ann’s Gardens, NW5