The shocking death of a pedestrian, struck by an e-bike in February and who succumbed to his injuries last month, has once again cast a harsh light on London’s increasingly chaotic relationship with cycling — particularly the motor-assisted kind. The true surprise, perhaps, is not that such a tragedy occurred, but that it doesn’t happen more often.
In this particular case, the victim stepped into the road from behind a bus — an everyday risk in a city where buses obscure visibility and crossings are rarely straightforward. But the more insidious threat lies elsewhere: at the designated pedestrian crossings, the very places we’re told are safe. All too frequently, they’re treated as optional by a minority of cyclists who think red lights don’t apply to them.
Anyone who’s stood at a central London junction — Oxford Circus, Hyde Park Corner, or even quieter ones like Ludgate Circus — knows the fear. The pedestrian light may be green, but many Londoners have learned the hard way to hesitate. Why? Because that flash of lycra could be barrelling through the red light without a second glance.
It happened to me recently, and since then, I’ve been painfully aware of the trend. And I’m not alone. Just between January 2024 and April 2025, nine pedestrians were struck by cyclists in London’s Royal Parks, and 18 more had near misses. In 2023, there were three pedestrian deaths and a shocking 626 serious injuries attributed to cycling incidents. And that figure likely under-reports the true number. Who, after all, wants to go through the effort of making a formal complaint when the response is often silence?
E-bikes, with their increased weight and speed, present an even greater danger. Yet riders are not required to pass any test — not even a basic proficiency check. It’s one thing to operate a motor vehicle without training; it’s another to give someone access to a machine capable of 20mph-plus speeds on pavements and roads, shared with the most vulnerable of road users: pedestrians.
To address this, Parliament has increased penalties for reckless cycling, thanks to a measure backed by Iain Duncan Smith. But legislation is only effective when enforced. And enforcement is in pitifully short supply. Cyclists who flout red lights or race through crossings rarely face consequences.
That’s why enforcement methods must change. One suggestion? Build on the City of London police initiative that places officers on bikes. Who better to chase down rogue cyclists than other cyclists? Or use patrol cars in strategic locations to flag down offenders. We’re not calling for a crackdown at every junction — but random blitzes across the city, unannounced and unpredictable, could send a message. Just like motorists dread speed cameras, cyclists might begin to think twice before storming through a red.
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Fines should be substantial. £200 seems fair. And if it’s a hire bike, dock the card used to rent it. There’s no need to involve courts unless the offence is serious — like the one that led to last month’s fatality. This is about deterrence, not punishment.
And if the Mayor wants to help, perhaps the budget currently spent on vanity projects and virtue-signalling posters — like the anti-staring campaign on the Tube — could be reallocated to promoting cycling safety. Londoners deserve better. Pedestrians are not obstacles. They are people with as much right to safe passage as anyone else.
Of course, cyclists themselves are vulnerable — often victims of negligent motorists. But that doesn’t excuse behaviour that puts others at risk. In the hierarchy of road users, pedestrians sit at the very bottom, and right now, they’re under siege. We can’t go on like this. Something must give — before more lives are needlessly lost.
