Mayor's Question Time focuses on Bow fatalities

During Mayor's Question Time on Tuesday there was yet more focus on the Bow Roundabout. The bereaved family of Brian Dorling was there to hear what Boris Johnson had to say.

The mayor agreed to meet with John Biggs, the Labour Assembly member for the area, and Mr Dorling's family in the near future.

Debbie Dorling's husband Brian, 58, was killed on a cycling superhighway at the Bow Roundabout on 24 October. A lorry driver was arrested and bailed.

A 34-year-old woman died on the same stretch of the A11 on Friday afternoon.

Educating drivers

While Mr Johnson offered his deepest condolences, he would not comment on the specifics of the cases at the Bow Roundabout.

He would say though that Transport for London (TfL) is working extremely hard to educate HGV drivers to be aware of cyclists.

The mayor seemed to suggest the root of the problem was with the HGV drivers in many cases. He was also very keen that the increased popularity of cycling should be recognised.

Jenny Jones, from the Greens on the London Assembly, also claimed that prior to it being built, transport officials had agreed with the London Cycling Campaign the cycling superhighway junction at Bow Roundabout needed changing.

Those changes didn't happen.

When it was put to the mayor that he had overruled the officials, he strenuously denied it and said the decisions for the superhighway "were not referred to him".