Man with disabilities floored by e-bike cyclist at ‘floating' bus stop
'I'm nervous about getting on the bus again'
Friday, 15th August — By Frankie Lister-Fell
A MAN with disabilities was knocked down by an e-bike cyclist at one of Camden’s new “floating bus stops”.
Robin Ward, who lives in Belsize Park, said he was ploughed into as he got off the No 1 bus in Haverstock Hill last Thursday.
The design of floating bus stops, which have a cycle lane between them and the road, has been strongly criticised since they were introduced in recent years.
Mr Ward told the New Journal: “I stepped into the cycle lane and this Lime bike came out of nowhere at quite a speed and hit me on the side and caught me in the ribs and my ankle.
“It was quite painful for me. My shopping was smashed and my wristwatch, which monitors my irregular heartbeat, was broken.
“I said ‘what are you doing? Why didn’t you stop?’ And [the cyclist] shouted at me ‘It’s a f***ing cycle lane’ and carried on riding.
“Their attitude was just terrible. It’s made me nervous about getting off the bus again.
“The bus driver told me this has happened many times.”
Mr Ward said he was nearly knocked over by someone on an e-bike at the same bus stop before.
He said: “I want those bus stops removed. They’re like death traps and an accident waiting to happen.”
Mr Ward has had many grafts put in his leg and uses a stick to walk around.
He said the wheel of the Lime bike slammed into his bad leg which has been very painful.
The controversial cycle lane was introduced to Haverstock Hill in 2022 as part of an 18-month trial that was then made permanent.
Businesses feared the removal of parking spaces would affect trade.
Residents have since warned that collisions between pedestrians alighting from buses and bikes have increased with the new floating bus stops.
The National Federation of the Blind of the UK last month welcomed a government announcement of a pause into new floating bus stops.
But it said the pause did not go far enough and councils should be ordered to remove them, adding the capital had been turned into an “urban velodrome”.
Cyclist groups have backed the system reminding objectors of the dangers of riding in Camden streets over the years.
Several people have died in collisions due to the cramped streets that often squeeze riders into dangerous situations.
There are 164 floating bus stops in the capital, according to the London Assembly.
A Camden Council spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about this incident.
“We continue to monitor these locations including via independent Road Safety Audits.
“We are happy to discuss this with Mr Ward and get more details so we can look into what happened.”
