Tube strike chaos - cycling in London this week has been like real life dodgems
This week’s tube strikes have caused carnage for cyclists on London’s roads.
Cycling through London this week has been a challenge. A week of tube strikes brought the city to a standstill, forcing the 25 million journeys usually made underground to move above ground.
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Many people battled to get on buses, some worked from home, and others decided to cycle to work.
I’ve been riding a bike to school or work for nearly 20 years. People often tell me I’m brave for taking on London’s roads and that they’d never attempt it themselves.
Most of the time, it’s fine. Just follow the rules of the road, don’t go too fast and always be ready for pedestrians stepping out onto the street.
But this last week has been completely different. London’s roads have been flooded with people who clearly haven’t ridden a bike since they were eight-years-old at Center Parcs.
Many ride with headphones in, completely oblivious to their surroundings. And most are on e-bikes, which can easily accelerate to 15mph.
I’ve seen so many near misses that I’d be amazed if London’s hospitals haven’t seen a spike in bike-related accidents this week.
I’ve spotted people swerving in and out of lanes without looking, nearly colliding with other cyclists, and constantly filming TikToks while riding.
It's been like playing dodgems on London's roads, but much less fun.
I don’t blame commuters for taking to two wheels to get around - I’ve done it myself. But I do blame those with no road-riding skills.
It makes me think we need better checks by companies like Lime and Forest to ensure riders are competent on the road.
There’s been a huge rise in Lime bike hires this week - on Wednesday alone, journeys during peak hours jumped by 74%.
The people who repair the bikes, known as Lime Juicers, have been working overtime, with one telling LBC that his workload had rocketed.
The company has made the most of the tube strike, saying it would "plug the gaps left by public transport." But some customers have caused problems on the roads - many of which I’ve witnessed myself.
Fools riding through red lights, crashing into pedestrians, or cycling without helmets give us all a bad name.
Johnny Jenkins is a Producer for LBC's Tom Swarbrick at Drive.
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