Hackney’s cyclists have been sharing some of the awkward places they are forced to store their bikes after it was revealed that almost 5,000 residents are still waiting for secure storage.
A Freedom of Information Request sent by the Clean Cities Campaign group revealed that 60,000 Londoners are waiting for cycle hanger spaces, with a total of 4,977 on the waiting list in the borough of Hackney.
The 3,600 bike spaces currently in Hackney allow cyclists to lock their bike inside the hangers in what looks like a large bread bin. Space in one hanger costs residents between £30 and £42.50 a year, after a £25 deposit.
The figures reveal that almost three times more people are waiting for bike storage across London than the 22,592 spaces currently available in the capital.
To show their frustration with the lack of safe bike storage provided by local councils, London’s cyclists are posting images on social media with the hashtag #ThisIsAwkward. The Clean Cities Campaign started the hashtag to call for council candidates ahead of the May local elections to commit to providing cheap and convenient bike hangers for all residents who need one.
Some of the pictures shared by London’s cyclists include a bike stored immediately next to a bed, three bikes precariously dangled over a balcony, and two bikes kept in someone’s toilet.
Frances Cherry, a mother of two from Haggerston, shared the image of two bikes being kept in her bathroom. “We’ve been on the waiting list for such a long time,” she said. “We’re storing [the bikes] in our flat at the moment and it’s not great because they can block fire exits. We don’t have a lot of space anyway so it’s not ideal.”
Cherry, 38, added: “I think lots of families would like to cycle but they don’t have the space. Obviously in Haggerston, where I live, there’s so many flats or they keep getting them stolen and it’s just become a part of life.”
Vincent Stops, a Labour councillor for Hackney Central, and a keen cyclist, said: “It’s great that there’s so much interest in cycle hangers and I personally think it should be a priority. I think the council has done well in doing what it does. Without a doubt, it’s an important thing.
“I think if I was prioritising investment, I would be prioritising storage space, particularly on estates. But it costs money. Everything costs money.”
The Clean Cities Campaign said they will put some of the best pictures from #ThisIsAwkward on to billboards around London later this month.
Oliver Lord, UK Head of the Clean Cities Campaign, said: “By not delivering the secure bike parking we need, London’s councillors are failing residents who want to do the right thing and are neglecting their duties to reduce air pollution.”
Londoners who want to submit their own images can tweet @Cities_Clean using the hashtag #ThisisAwkward or by visiting https://bit.ly/awkwardbike.
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