Schoolboy injured by cyclist in hit-and-run on ‘dangerous’ superhighway in Stoke Newington
Traumatised: Nilesh Parmar with his mother Rooma. Photograph: Rooma Parmar
An 11-year-old schoolboy suffered a nasty shoulder injury after he was clattered by a cyclist as he crossed Wordsworth Road on his way to school last week.
Nilesh Parmar was left “shocked and traumatised” after the cyclist knocked him over at high speed and told him to “look where he was going” as he lay injured in the road.
The incident happened just outside Garden School on the CS1 cycle superhighway that recently benefitted from a controversial traffic-calming trial introduced by Hackney Council and Transport for London (TfL).
Nilesh’s mother Rooma said: “My son was wheeling his bike across the road and spotted a cyclist in the distance. Even though there were no other bikes or cars around, the man crashed straight into Nilesh’s shoulder at high speed. Nilesh fell back awkwardly onto his own bike but the cyclist just shouted at him and rushed off. A nearby mother and her son had to help him up.
“Nilesh even apologised to the cyclist. He’s only eleven and all he could think was that he was going to be late for school – he’s just started secondary school so it’s a big deal for him to get there on his own.
“It was only when he got home that he burst into tears. I took him straight to A&E where we discovered he’d actually suffered soft tissue damage in his shoulder. He’s had to take three days off school and he’s done five days of physiotherapy.”
Ms Parmar was “shocked” by the police response when she went to the local station to report the incident.
She said: “The officer made me feel really stupid. She looked at me and said, ‘Are we talking about a pushbike here?’ Then she said – and these are her exact words – ‘What are you expecting to get out of this?’
“She could see I was visibly shaking and upset but she was really rude. She told me they wouldn’t be pursuing it and that I should talk to her colleague because she was about to come off her shift.”
Risky: critics of the new scheme say it is more dangerous for children. Photograph: Nicky Bowden
Last month (October), Hackney Council and TfL introduced a trial that blocks vehicles from using certain junctions on Wordsworth Road. The aim is to improve the CS1 route for cyclists and pedestrians, make the area “more welcoming” and prevent cars from using neighbouring roads as “rat-runs”. But opponents argue the new measures have made the route more dangerous, especially for children, with a number of schools in the area.
Local resident Nicky Bowden, who is campaigning against the traffic filters, said: “It’s pretty clear that TfL and Hackney Council haven’t thought things through for a CS1 Wordsworth Road scheme that benefits pedestrians, motorists and cyclists. They didn’t consult widely and transparently enough.
“We pointed out that the scheme is not pedestrian-friendly but TfL and Hackney Council use lack of budget as an excuse to ignore the safety of pedestrians. Let’s not forget that the junctions at either end of Wordsworth Road remain dangerous for cyclists too.”
Ms Parmar agreed: “You can hear cars, but you can’t hear speeding cyclists. It’s definitely way more dangerous for pedestrians since the trial was introduced. Some bikes go faster than cars along the route – even calling it a ‘superhighway’ makes cyclists think they can just go really fast.
“It’s incredibly dangerous. There have been times I’ve had to pull my three-year-old toddler away from the road because she was in danger of being hit by a bike.”
She called on the council to introduce road signs and CCTV cameras to deter cyclists from speeding, as well as a zebra crossing, adding: “At the moment, crossings are allocated where the junctions meet, and on a bend – not the best location for seeing bikes! With schools and a park nearby, there needs to be a zebra crossing where traffic and cyclists must stop and give way to pedestrians.”
The Town Hall’s transport supremo Cllr Feryal Demirci said: “I am sad to hear about the boy being hit by a person on a bike on Wordsworth Road, and hope he is not seriously injured. We don’t know the full details of what happened, so I would ask the boy’s parent to contact us so we can gain a better understanding of the circumstances and what we can do to try and prevent other accidents.
“The aim of the filters and other measures installed around Wordsworth Road is to prevent cars, vans and lorries from driving through, reducing traffic and making the area safer, less polluted and more pleasant to walk and cycle. The works included raised crossings and humps at junctions to slow down cars and cycles, as well as wider pavements with tactile paving at key crossing points, which along with the reduction in motor traffic, should make the road safer to cross. We also run road safety campaigns aimed at drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
“Like all our streets, Wordsworth Road has a 20mph speed limit. We will monitor the road over the next 18 months and make amendments accordingly. This will include checking the speed of cars and cycles on the road and adding additional signs and speed reduction measures if needed.”
The Hackney Citizen has contacted the police for a comment and is awaiting their response.
Shame Cllr Feryal Demirci can’t be bothered to proactively reach out to get in touch herself, instead she requests the victim attempt her contact to explain more. And clearly work as part of Cycle Superhighway 1 (CS1) is NOT making the area safer for pedestrians with dangerous accidents like this! Hackney Council & TfL – Reconsider CS1 Wordsworth Road Closureshttps://www.change.org/p/hackney-council-tfl-reconsider-cs1-wordsworth-road-closures
please tell me the KSI numbers for cycles and cars, if you don’t mind.
Agreed – lazy and arrogant
I’m hardly surprised this has happened – Hackney and TfL have made a proper mess of the CS1 implementation and the road closures are misguided.
They didn’t consult properly, ignored local concerns, were overly influenced by a small, vocal minority of middle class home owners preoccupied with house values rising and then pushed ahead.
In the past there wasn’t an issue with cyclist safety on Wordsworth Rd itself – the real issue are the entry and exit points, and guess what, they remain unsafe. Try turning right into Wordsworth or exiting onto Nevill Road – it’s a nightmare.
Councillor Demirci’s response is lazy – asking the parent to contact her – and misses the point. Hackney are utterly obsessed with road closure policy, and don’t work hard to see how the theory works in practice. Derisking cycling completely is impossible and sometimes counterproductive.
I’m hardly surprised this has happened – Hackney and TfL have made a proper mess of the CS1 implementation and the road closures are misguided.
They didn’t consult properly, ignored local concerns, were overly influenced by a small, vocal minority of middle class home owners preoccupied with house values rising and then pushed ahead.
In the past there wasn’t an issue with cyclist safety on Wordsworth Rd itself – the real issue are the entry and exit points, and guess what, they remain unsafe. Try turning right into Wordsworth or exiting onto Nevill Road – it’s a nightmare.
Councillor Demirci’s response is lazy – asking the parent to contact her – and misses the point. Hackney are utterly obsessed with road closure policy, and don’t work hard to see how the theory works in practice. Derisking cycling completely is impossible and sometimes counterproductive.
I live on Prince George Road, and I cycle daily
Shouldn’t you be asking the council this is you really want an answer? Odd request
Agreeing with yourself now are we?
Ah, you mean the Cllr
No, DaisyT – pay attention
Scum
If anyone has the time taking video clips of cyclist behaviour around the borough would be quite enlightening – I witness them going the wrong way down one way streets, cycling on pavements (at speed) and ignoring the rule that you should be able to stop safely well within the distance that you can see to be clear on a daily basis. I was struck by one along Brooke Road on the pavement last year and ended up in A&E as a result – didn’t bother reporting it to the police as honestly there wouldn’t have been much they could have done. If I had though I’d have expected to be taken a bit more seriously that what appears to have happened in this case. I’m sure that most cyclists are considerate but the inconsiderate minority cause more than enough problems
I’m a bit suspicious. Why would a cyclist be wheeling their bike across the road? And secondly, why is she concerned about her 3yo near cycle lanes, but not around cars? A 3yo that isn’t traffic aware will not notice cars as well as cyclists.
Seems to me that it’s just another person with an anti-cycling agenda,
I wonder if Copenhagen, which has more cyclists than cars has the same problems? I doubt it considering they feel safe enough not to wear high-viz or helmets!
I don’t have video of cyclists riding dangerously, but there are numerous videos of cars, vans, lorries and taxis driving dangerously, including driving down pavements.
Part of the problem is with the cycling infrastructure. Some one way streets allow cyclists to ride against the traffic, and some pavements are “shared use” which allows pedestrians and cyclists. Of course they often give-up on signs for these, so cyclists don’t know when the shared use pavement stops. Of course in foreign countries, cyclists are treated better and happily mingle with pedestrians in pedestrianised areas such as market squares and pavements.
Before people descend into a rabid, frothing anti-cyclist/cycling rant, it’s helpful to look at actual figures of KSI on our roads, and see how many are caused by cyclists. Whilst it is very true that some cyclists ride in a manner dangerous to themselves, other road users and pedestrians, we should look at the behaviour of al, rather than being quick to condemn one group. This incident does appear to be one individual acting in an extremely irresponsible manner. But, as a cyclist myself, by far the greatest threat to public safety is that created by motor vehicles. As a Hackney resident, I never go a single journey by bicycle, without encountering very dangerous behaviour by drivers of motor vehicles. The CSH’s were created in response to deaths and injuries caused to cyclists by motor vehicles, and rising pollution levels. The more people on bicycles, the safer and cleaner our environment will be.
The title of this article is sensationalist, even if ‘dangerous’ is in quotes. Is there any actual indication this route is dangerous, beyond the opinions of ‘opponents’?
I feel my journey has been made just a little safer by the develoment of the CSH and the traffic-calming measures put in place. An awful lot of work still needs to be done. Too many people are being killed and seriously injured by motor vehicles.
I wish the young lad a full and speedy recovery, and hope he and his family go on to have no ill will towards the vast majority of careful, considerate and safe cyclists. The actions of one does not speak for the behaviour of all.
WillRod…. Do you think that I arranged for my son to get injured so I could then use this as an anti-cycling agenda? Do you think it was fun for me to see my son crying in pain and unable to get dressed alone?. What is suspicious about stopping at a road to cross while you have your bike with you? He is 11 years old and not fully confident cycling along the road (CS1). Let me make this clear..as it wasn’t so in the report, I said I was concerned about my 3year old when exiting the park at Butterfield. (I am not naive and I didn’t mention that I was not concerned about cars ) The cycle lane is so close to the pedestrian walkway that there have a been a few times where cycles have gone pass at speed as children are exiting. The cars in this area do not share a pedestrian walkway…
I have no issues with cyclists in the area, but it needs to be safe for pedestrians too. My point is…or maybe you want to refer to as “agenda” is to have a safer crossing and signs to make them aware that there are 3 schools within 5 minutes of the CS1. Yet there are no speed signs, no school children crossing signs. No give way signs at the junctions where cars are also driving across the CS1 route.
Aziz, we have no issues with cyclists, infact my sons bike was damaged and he is keen to get it fixed so he can get back on. I just want the council and TFL to get the route safer for all. There have been 2 cyclists injured in the area in the last few weeks. This is due to no signs or clear give way rules. The planning and signs etc need to be looked at again.
Agreed. Doesn’t excuse poor road closure design though. 2 wrong don’t make a right etc
Another tiresome swivel-eyed pro-cycling type who can’t show a bit of compassion for a CHILD who was knocked over, and can’t comprehend that perhaps Hackney/TfL’s road closure plans are less than ideal.
You also don’t understand the road layout in the area, so you’ve completely misunderstood the point about the risk to children as young as 3 on shared lanes.
You’ve embarrassed yourself there pal.
Hi Rooma,
I am really sorry to hear of your son’s collision and I hope he is making a good recovery. I would love to speak to you about how you feel we can make area safer for all users. I am the co-ordinator of the local cycling group and can be emailed coordinator at hackney.cc
Regards,
Jono Kenyon
Hi Chris,
Closing roads to through traffic has huge benefits to the community not just ‘cyclists’ They have been working in practice in Hackney for decades, so claiming they are a theory is odd. Here in Brownswood they have been a success to stop kerb crawling in the eighties. The changes around Stoke Newington are new, but will settle down in time.
As for the Cllr not contacting the parent, it is not clear how she would know who the parent was until the story had been reported. Nothing lazy, but rather a practicle suggestion to help resolve an issue.
Hi Jono
I’m familiar with the closures in Brownswood, having lived in and around that area in the 80s and 90s. Kerb crawling was a nightmare for sure.
The point that I – and plenty of other residents – are trying to make is that, while cycling safety is paramount, the closures don’t necessarily work in this stretch of CS1. The entry into / exit from Wordsworth Rd is – by Hackney’s admission – still dangerous. Life is harder for cyclists who choose to use the A10. There’s a myriad of unaddressed problems and what has been put in place is really a halfway house that suits no one.
The consultation was far from transparent and plenty of local objections were ignored – a proper dialogue might have led to smarter solutions, instead of just the cheapest ones. For example, route CS1 through the already traffic free estate on Cowper Rd then the quiet roads up to Nevill. Or – as you’re well aware – put CS1 on the A10.
It’s also a little disingenuous of Hackney to claim the closures are driven by safer cycling when it’s really about calming traffic for a couple of specific roads. Maybe they were driven by a desire to boost house values?
Feryal could easily have sought to get in contact with Rooma rather than asking her to do the running – hence the lazy comment. A minor observation
Cheers
Chris,
I agree that CS1 would have been better on the A10, but here we are.
Agree that more needs to be done to improve junctions on Matias Rd into Wordsworth. Hackney cycling said so as part of our response. But that doesn’t mean Wordsworth shouldn’t be filtered.
My issue is you saying road filters are a theory. They are not, but rather a well used technique to reduce motor vehicle numbers and improve communities. I am unclear why the Wordsworth filters are so unique in your view? We have hundreds in Hackney.
People wanting to improve their communities by making them safer and less polluted shouldn’t be dismissed as a middle class whim. The house price comments are petty snipes and unworthy IMO.
As for Feryal, I am still unsure how she was meant to guess who the parent was until this story was reported? Again just a snipe.
Jono
Thanks Jono,
I will be in touch, as we do need to all work together to make it safe for everyone. I am just waiting to get some feedback from the local councillors first.
Rooma
What do these Town Planner’s do?, There is minimal consultation with Residents and Local Businesses & everything is pretty much rushed through, with very little thought, It’ll be a dead pedestrian or another cyclist killed! Will the police then say, There’s nothing we can do? Something needs to be done & quick! Good luck Rooma, I wish Nilesh better
Gate Post –Arse
Jono – ultimately there wasn’t a cyclist safety issue on Wordsworth Rd itself that needed solving. The closures are driven by nimby locals worried about house prices (their words, not mine), and a lazy approach to CS planning. You can reduce motor numbers and speeds in other ways, and CS1 could have taken an even safer route just one road back from Wordsworth.
As I said before, derisking cycling completely in London is impossible. in local, back street roads – which Wordsworth Rd is – slowed cars can co-exist with cyclists, keeping each other’s speeds down. The average speed in the area was less than 14mph btw.
What you have now is unfettered cyclist speeds, cars recirculating on Wordsworth Rd (so no change) and cars having to criss-cross a far more heavily used cycle route.. you’ve guessed it, the A10 bus lane.
Genuinely don’t think the team who designed this bothered to cycle AND drive in the area before making the proposals. Theories & models are great on paper, but often fail in practice.
One other point about Feryal. I wouldn’t expect her to guess who the parent was, but when presented with the story by Hackney Citizen a more proactive response would have been “I’ve asked HC to put me in contact with Rooma so we can discuss the issue etc etc”. Shows a bit more compassion than a stand-offish, public request to be contacted. Subtle but important difference for someone in her position.
Not to downplay the incident but this just seems so… precious.
Soft tissue damage is bruising right? The clue is in “when he got home he burst into tears” – when your Mum turns a nasty scrape into The End Of The World.
First crash I got into I was overtaken then left-hooked by a mother taking her kids to school. Didn’t help me pull the bike off my bashed up legs and seemed more concerned with reassuring her kids everything was OK (give me 5 minutes and let me decide that eh love).
I suppose this is what nice middle class mothers do.
Middle class..??? It is easy to make assumptions I suppose. I was born in Hackney, went to school in Clapton and lived in Hackney for over 40 years. Yes, mothers are there to protect their children. Why is the clue when he got home…?.so he didn’t want to cry in front of his friends . I picked him up after I got a call from his school and that’s when he released his emotions and told me he couldn’t move his arm. At least you could get back on your bike, my sons bike is out of action because of it. My point being that this road has to be safer, crossings for school children need to be placed. Injuring a child is not ok and no one should be made to feel guilty for reporting it.
Hey Diziet – looks like that left hook to your head did something to your brain. What a daft thing to write. Maybe you need a little cuddle? lol
Diziet, haven’t you got better things to do than make nasty comments about other people while pretending that you yourself are some kind of tough guy? You should be ashamed of yourself.
Hi Rooma, hi Jono – I’m another resident, I’d be v interested in joining a discussion about this.
So sorry to hear about your son and the cyclist’s terrible behaviour. 🙁 Hope he’s getting better.
I do think the closures are a great idea, as I’m firmly in favour of anything that reduces car use (London air pollution is TERRIBLE).
But, I’m also in favour of anything to make the set-up safer for pedestrians (especially kids!). I like the suggestion of a zebra crossing for example, and I’m sure there are more things that can be done.
It seems that the streets could remain closed to cars AND make it safer for pedestrians – I don’t think adding more cars back into the mix would help!
If you’re interested in chatting, I’m on twitter as @louiestowell if you’d like to dm (dms open) your email or something?