City of London officials have claimed “dangerous, anti-social and nuisance cycling behaviours” need to be addressed with stricter punishments for riders who ride through red lights touted.
It’s worth noting from the outset that the City of London refers to the Square Mile north of the River Thames from the Tower of London to near Blackfriars, not the entire city, but City of London Police and Corporation officials have touted tougher penalties for cyclists who run red lights in the area.
Joint enforcement operation targeting anti-social cycling in London (City of London Police) (credit: road.cc)
The story was reported by the BBC who suggested City of London Police is considering using Community Protection Warnings and Notices to issue stronger sanctions than £50 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs).
Officials have reportedly expressed concern about “dangerous, anti-social and nuisance cycling behaviours” such as red light jumping, with councillor Jacqueline Webster also suggesting promotion of a “culture of courteousness” among cyclists is needed due to parking of dockless hire bikes.
Cyclists stopped at red light in London (credit: Simon MacMichael)
At a meeting of the Corporation’s Streets and Walkways Sub-Committee last week, the situation was raised and a paper noted that claimed poor behaviour remains a concern, even if road safety statistics show the City’s streets are safer than ever for cyclists and pedestrians.
Of this poor behaviour, cyclists running red lights at busy junctions, dangerous use of e-bikes, and bikes being ridden in pedestrianised areas were apparently the main issues raised.
Cyclist waiting at red light.jpg (credit: road.cc)
While cycling behaviour has attracted the attention and now faces the prospect of tougher punishments, the paper did also note that cycle numbers are up massively in recent years and, with vehicle traffic in the City falling, casualties per cyclist are also down 45 per cent since 2016-17.
However, the Corporation and City of London Police appear keen to clamp down on what it has called “dangerous, anti-social and nuisance cycling behaviours” and stricter punishments, such as prosecution, have been touted to replace £50 FPNs. Both organisations said they would continue to lobby government for stronger powers.
Thousands of cyclists have been fined in the City of London in recent years. In August 2024, the City of London’s statistics showed its Cycle Response Unit had issued more than 1,200 fixed penalty notices to cyclists for going through red lights “or putting themselves, other cyclists and pedestrians at risk”.
That Cycle Response Unit was formed in July 2023 and the force said the thousands of fines were “great results” in a response to “concerns from the community around road safety and anti-social behaviour”.
This summer, we also reported the bizarre case of a cyclist being fined for allegedly riding no-handed, one of City of London Police’s dedicated cycling officers claiming the riding “contravenes the Human Rights Act”.
Barrister and cyclist Paul Powlesland accused the force of wasting resources after he was issued a ticket back in March, a subsequent video from April then showing him confront the same officer who had ticketed him a month earlier.