Hugely popular Camden cycle route could be scrapped after taxi backlash as council launches public inquiry

A London council is to launch an independent public inquiry into whether a hugely popular cycle route should be scrapped.

The central London cycling lane has been welcomed by thousands of cyclists but is loathed by taxi drivers who have called for it to be removed.

The two roads in Bloomsbury, Tavistock Place and Torrington Place, were reduced to one lane in November 2015 as part of a 12-month pilot scheme.

The new layout saw the Camden route become one-way for all vehicles with the extra space given to cyclists amid concerns of bike overcrowding.

It became massively popular, leading to a 52 per cent boost in the number of cyclists on the stretch of road, which links Tottenham Court Road and Islington.

But taxi drivers claim the controversial one-way system is a nightmare and is slowing journeys because of increased congestion from the lack of space.

Over 15,000 people and groups gave their views in Camden council’s six-week public consultation on the flagship scheme – the largest number of responses ever received by the council on one issue.

Out of the individuals who responded, 79 per cent backed the current one-way layout and want it to become permanent but one fifth - including the taxi drivers and a group of residents - think it should be scrapped.

On Wednesday the council’s cabinet voted in favour of launching a public inquiry following the response.

The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association welcomed the decision but urged the council to bring back two-way traffic while waiting for the inquiry to take place.

Richard Massett, chairman of the LTDA, said: “We are pleased that Camden Council has responded to the concerns raised by the LTDA and many other stakeholders through the consultation by recommending an independent public inquiry into the measures.

“Whilst we are committed to improving conditions for cyclists on London’s roads, we felt that at Tavistock Place the trial measures did not balance this aim with the legitimate interests of pedestrians and other road users.”

But Simon Munk, infrastructure campaigner at the London Cycling Campaign, said he was confident the inquiry would find in favour of the cycle lane because of the “overwhelming” public response.

He told the Standard: “We feel very, very confident that unless there is a grave miscarriage of justice, unless something goes terribly, terribly wrong, we can’t see any reason why any planning inspector would not accept Camden has been very diligent and they have put forward a very good scheme.

“It’s hugely overwhelming. Camden officers have gone in and looked in really close detail.

“We know the taxi drivers hate the scheme but at the end of the day Camden’s report makes very clear that most people can really see the advantages. The scheme has been a huge success.”

Responding to the taxi drivers’ objections to the scheme, Mr Munk said: “They are trying to hang on to a London that’s not going to change but we know London is changing.

“Pollution is growing, congestion is getting worse. They are standing in the way of progress.

“I would be flabbergasted if the inquiry result is anything but support for the scheme.

The move to widen the cycle lane was brought in after the route became a hotspot for collisions between cars and bikes.

Camden council ran the public council 10 months into the scheme and received 15,040 responses from individuals and 55 group representations.

More than 2,200 residents replied as well as 1,870 students, 2,069 university staff and 1,909 local business workers.

On Wednesday the Cabinet decided to keep the current one-way road layout until the result of the inquiry and a final decision is made.