Car free Bank junction praised by cyclists... but drivers brazenly flout ban

Drivers have been brazenly flouting a traffic ban at Bank junction which was brought in to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

The new rules, brought in after the death of a cyclist at the notoriously busy interchange, were enforced from 7am today. All vehicles apart from cyclists and buses are banned from using it before 7pm.

The move has been celebrated by cycle safety campaigners, who hailed the event as a “historic day” for Londoners.

But footage taken during the busy morning commute shows drivers blatantly disregarding the new regulations and driving through.

Motorists will eventually be fined for using the route, however there is a two week grace period before drivers will face action.

Black Cabs, minicabs, lorries and vans were all spotted ignoring the new signage and continuing through the junction – where 26-year-old cyclist Ying Tao was crushed to death by a lorry two years ago.

City of London officials and police officers were at the junction handing out leaflets to drivers and warning them of the new restrictions.

Chris Hayward, planning and transportation chair at City of London, said drivers will not be fined at first, instead receiving a “warning notice”.

“We are first going to warn people of the new regulations, we won’t penalise them straight away.” he said.

“And then persistent offenders will be given fines.”

Under the 18-month trial scheme, drivers will be handed a £130 fine – reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days.

Campaign group Stop Killing Cyclists staged a “live in” – turning on its head their usual tradition of “die in” protests at accident hotspots – to celebrate the event.

They also laid fresh flowers where city worker Ms Tao was killed as she cycled to work in June 2015.

“It is a historic day for cyclists and pedestrians in London,” Donnachadh McCarthy, chair of the campaign group, said.

“We congratulate City of London for taking the steps to change the lifestyle for cyclists in the city."

"This is a notoriously dangerous junction," added London Assembly Member Caroline Russell. "And these [cycling] accidents are happening to our friends and neighbours.

"Road safety isn't just a problem for someone, it's a problem for all Londoners."

Cyclist Andrew Smith, who commutes on his bike to his accounting job in Bank, said the scheme was “exactly what London needed”.

“We live in hope that this will change things! When we cycle through the middle of London we are putting ourselves in danger.

“It was only two years ago that a city worker was killed here.”

Speaking about whether including black cabs in the ban will make it difficult for people to get around, he added: “You do need to make sure the area is accessible to people who can’t walk or cycle.

“But the taxis cause a lot of pollution – which also kills people – and I would like to see a much greener London.”

But lorry driver delivering stock to a nearby restaurant described the move as “diabolical”.

“We now have to park a couple of miles away which is a nightmare and it’s dangerous for us to now have to carry our stock through the busy junction,” he said.

“I will have to use cycle lanes to wheel it so I don’t hurt anyone on the busy pavement."

He added: "I think some cyclists don't know what they are doing and need to learn how to cycle on London roads. The ban is ludicrous."

According to statistics released by Transport for London, there were a total of 253 pedestrian or cyclist casualties within the City of London in 2015.

Of these, more than sixty happened at the notorious junction.

The City predicted that reducing the amount of traffic will cut the number of casualties by 50 to 60 per cent.

Taxi drivers staged a series of demonstrations in the lead up to the ban - blocking roads with their cabs and bringing traffic to a standstill.

The United Cabbies Group described it as "probably the most unnecessary scheme that anyone has suggested in London for some time" and have argued that taxis should be exempt.

A City of London spokesman said the consultation would remain open for feedback throughout the trial and a permanent decision would be made after the 18-month period.