Transport chiefs pledge to fix Holborn junction in wake of Alan Neve death

Area transport authorities say they will fix the one-way system where bike rider Alan Neve was killed on Monday morning.

The junction of Kingsway and High Holborn falls under the jurisdiction of Camden Council, which has been receiving warnings from campaigners for years that the one-way system in the area was dangerous for people on bikes.

As Andy Waterman illustrated in our guest blog, the designated route for cyclists through this area involves mixing with four lanes of fast-moving traffic because the contraflow bus lane on Theobalds Road is closed to people on bikes.

Alan Neve is believed to have obeyed the law and turned off Theobalds Road before being hit by a tipper truck near Holborn Tube station.

Camden Council said the banning of cycling in the bus lane was intended to protect cyclists’ safety as a cyclist overtaking a bus or a bus overtaking a cyclist would have to move out into oncoming traffic. However, the council is not taking another look a the traffic flow.

Camden councillor Phil Jones, Labour council cabinet member for sustainability told West End Extra: “We will look at it again. We want more segregated cycle routes because the volumes are going up massively, and we have to change the streets.

“We support the cycling revolution. We have a three-year transport plan and the next major scheme is going to be Holborn. We want to remove the gyratory but that requires a lot of work.”

On Tuesday night, more than 2,000 people took to their bikes to protest the state of the area’s road network and the death of Alan Neve.

Camden Cycling Campaign’s Stefano Casalotti laid a wreath at the spot where Alan Neve was killed and said: “This is an issue we have aired with police and transport for many years – going back to 2005 – and even last month.

“One: the bus lane should be wider.

“Two: it should allow cyclists on them.”

It’s believed that Alan Neve had previously used the bus lane. “But only a few days ago police had been ticketing cyclists who went into the bus lane, and many had been taken down into the gyratory,” said Casalotti.

Alan Neve was the third bike rider to be killed in london in three weeks.