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Islington Tribune by - PETER GRUNER
Published: 19 September 2008

Bicycles ‘face aggression on roads’

AN Italian relative of road accident victim Lisa Portecorvo hit out this week at Britain’s dismal record on cyclists’ safety.
Retired charity worker Neil Maroni, 56, who lived and worked in London until six years ago, said there was a culture of “aggression against cyclists”.
He compared cities in Germany and Scandinavia favourably with London for their support and tolerance of cycling.
Mr Maroni will be arriving in London this weekend to attend his cousin’s funeral on Monday at Islington and St Pancras Crematorium in East Finchley.
He stressed that he was not commenting on Lisa’s accident in Holloway Road, which is still under investigation. Lisa was pushing her bike when she was killed by a lorry.
“I was a committed cyclist in London, and I must say I never felt safe,” he said. “I’m also a driver so I understand the problems. There is fundamental lack of respect by drivers in Britain for what it is to be a cyclist in an urban area. In the end I stopped cycling on busy streets because of this lack of respect and culture of aggression.”
The problem, he added, was that the authorities appeared to want to control and restrict cycling rather than make it safe. “No amount of speed cameras, bumps and technology can help a cyclist face aggression on the road,” he said.
He believed the attitude to cyclists in parts of Germany and Scandinavia was based more on respect for the laws. “If you are on a bike in Germany, for example, motorists tend to give you a wide berth. Scandinavian cities often have good cycle lanes.
“I wouldn’t recommend you cycling through Rome. Motorists weave across roads at high speeds and there is a lack of discipline. However, all that said, there seems to be more of a respect there for the space of cyclists.”
He had the impression that London drivers thought cyclists should not be on the road, that they get in the way. “If you are a young and fit cyclist you can take risks,” he said. “But I want everyone to be able to get on their bike and travel a mile around the corner and feel safe.”

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