One of the main problems in large cities like London is that traffic systems are designed to deal with motor vehicles, and quite often unecesarily impede cyclists. Blanketing cyclists on their much slower, much less dangerous pedal bikes in with all other road traffic is the wrong approach, and with incrasing numbers of cycles on our roads, issues such as red light jumping by cyclists needs to be adressed effectively, not just seen as a revenue stream for the Met/Treasury. Whilst cyclists do need to obey rules where public safety is concerned, there are many red lights which cyclists could safely ride through, rather than have to stop and be held up with all the other traffic. Ineed, some junctions are so poorly designed with regard to cyclists, it’s actually safer to proceed through them, to put yourself in a safer position on the road.
I really don’t see how fining the odd cyclist for jumping red lights is an effective deterrent to the vast majority of cyclists out there; the increase in the complaints about this issue in the media etc shows that the problem isn’t being solved by fines. Other, more effective and suitable solutions are needed.