Work on a new cycleway between Aldgate and Blackfriars is to go ahead after it was paused due to concerns about floating bus stops.
The City of London Corporation approved the cycleway in October 2024, with two-way protected cycle lanes on Queen Victoria Street, says the BBC.
However, during the public consultation some campaigners had argued that floating bus stops posed a risk to visually impaired people.
Since then, the government published new guidelines and the authority concluded that its plans aligned with “best practice and [met] required standards” but added it would incorporate “additional mitigation measures to address user needs, especially for disabled people”.
The Department for Transport paused the rollout of floating bus stops in July. Updated guidance on all floating bus stops was published earlier this year.
Corporation officers reviewed the proposed floating bus stops against the guidance and concluded the designs met the “recommended design process” in a report prepared for a City meeting on Wednesday, in which members voted in favour of the project.
After the meeting, Sarah Gayton, street access campaign coordinator at the National Federation of the Blind of the UK, said the decision was “devastating for blind people”, adding: “The City of London will become inaccessible to blind people for generations to come. It is shocking.”
A City of London Corporation spokesperson said:
“We are taking the issue of accessibility extremely seriously and will ensure the City’s streets are safe and usable for everyone.”
(Picture: NFBUK)
