Cyclists should be given automatic green lights at traffic signals, a bike hire firm has suggested. Hal Stevenson, policy director at Lime, believes implementing this in London could cut down on the number of riders jumping red lights.
However, Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, dismissed the proposal as "farcical". Last month, Transport for London (TfL) announced plans to grant buses priority at all 3,500 traffic lights across the capital by 2030.
While Mr Stevenson praised the bus initiative, he argued it should be expanded to include bicycles. "Cyclists shouldn't be left on red," he wrote in a piece for news website MyLondon.
"Cycling now accounts for up to one in five trips in central London, with cycle traffic at peak times exceeding cars. Despite this, signal timings remain set around motor traffic speeds, which can lead to frequent stopping and less smooth journeys for people on bikes."
Mr Stevenson highlighted TfL's expansion of London's cycling infrastructure from approximately 90 km (56 miles) in 2016 to 430 km (267 miles) last year. "Rethinking how traffic lights are timed could be a natural next step in building on that success", he wrote.
Leading European cycling hubs such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam have demonstrated what can be achieved with smart infrastructure. 'Green wave' technology – which gives cyclists travelling at a steady, safe pace a sequence of green lights – has enhanced safety and cycling behaviour whilst cutting journey times at relatively modest expense. The system could also help tackle the problem of red light violations.
Speaking to the Press Association, Mr McNamara dismissed the policy as "farcical", pointing out that London is "incredibly congested" with traffic "slower than it's ever been". He argued that bike hire users are "incentivised" to take "dangerous risks", including jumping red lights, because the time-based pricing structure makes quicker journeys cheaper.
Mr McNamara said he participates in road safety discussions alongside representatives of the "white, middle-class cycling lobby" whose "whole obsession is removing vehicle traffic from the roads".
He continued: "Has it not occurred to them that some people either can't or don't want to cycle? It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them."
Recent analysis by location technology firm TomTom ranked London as the world's slowest capital for driving last year. The data showed that covering one kilometre (0.6 miles) in central London took an average of three minutes and 38 seconds.
The imposition of widespread 20mph speed limits has been partly attributed to this. One of Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan's main transport strategies, aimed at reducing road casualties, has been the reduction of speed limits from 30mph to 20mph.
A representative for the mayor stated that travel times on the TfL road network "remain at similar levels to those in 2019" and that "studies have shown 20mph limits and zones may improve traffic flow and cut traffic jams".