• PARENTS and their children who cross Prince of Wales Road to go to and from Haverstock and other schools should be alerted to a massive change in the safety experienced crossing this road.

Last term you could cross making two decisions. First, look right. Then, when halfway across, stand on an island and look left. Today it has completely changed.

First you have to look right to ensure you are not hit by a cyclist on the near cycle path. Then look right and left to ensure you are not in danger from a motor vehicle in either direction. Then look left because there is another cycle path where you could be hit if you don’t look out.

There are people in the cycle lobby, and that includes those who have made two crucial decisions in Camden Council, who think things have become safer. How can that be?

One reason we have experienced this is that there is no longer any organisation supporting the humble pedestrian, school child, elderly, call us what you will.

Once there was the Pedestrian Association, set up as its name implied. Then, it changed its name to “Living Streets” whose purpose was to campaign for cyclists and pedestrians.

And guess what? Living Streets has become a campaigning arm of the cyclists. In particular, here in Camden, its cycling campaign.

When there is a conflict between the interests of the two modes of transport, it’s the “born-again” cyclists who win the argument since pedestrians do not see themselves as an interest group. They are just normal people.

But what is interesting is that for over a year Dame Jane Roberts, who some will remember was leader of Camden Council, has been chair of Living Streets.

She was instrumental in causing a disastrous scheme which allowed cyclists on all the pavements around the Haverstock Hill / Prince of Wales junction to be dismantled. She lives in the borough. It would be interesting to know her opinion.

BRIAN BENJAMIN
Queen’s Crescent, NW5