Hundreds of cyclists have been fined for breaking major traffic rules in place across London, risking hefty penalties and jeopardising pedestrian safety.
Cyclists were slapped with fines for running red lights in the City of London this year, marking more than 10 times the number of motorists penalised for the same offence.
The City of London Police revealed that 284 cyclists have received fixed penalty notices for failing to stop at traffic lights since January, compared to just 25 motorists.
The figures emerge as cycling in the Square Mile has surged by more than 50 per cent over the past two years, according to reports.
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Nearly 300 cyclists were issued penalties for failing to stop at red lights
The dramatic increase in cyclists has prompted growing demands from pedestrians, motorists and cyclists themselves for enforcement action.
Now, the City of London police have begun using intelligence-led policing to target red light-jumping hotspots across the capital region.
The statistics were released as the force launched its “Safer City Streets” Summer prevention campaign, which focuses on offences that matter to communities.
Commissioner Pete O’Doherty said: “Our flagship Safer City Streets prevention campaign is about listening to what matters to our communities – whether it is antisocial behaviour, phone snatching, or dangerous road use – and taking clear, visible action.”
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Cyclists can be fined between £50 and as much as £1,000 for running red lights
He added: “Our teams are out every day with our dedicated ward officers becoming a regular and recognisable face to local residents and businesses.”
Cyclists have been warned that breaching red lights is an offence which can result in a penalty of £50, but this could increase to as much as £1,000 if the case goes to court and the cyclist is found guilty of a more severe offence, such as dangerous cycling.
The Commissioner emphasised the force’s commitment to reducing harm from high-volume crimes, noting that targeted hotspot policing with increased officer patrols was making a difference.
Under the campaign, officers have also been tackling phone snatching through Operation Swipe, with proactive patrols in theft hotspots resulting in a nearly 30 per cent reduction in the crime this year.
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Blue plaques have also been placed on pavements where phones have been snatched to remind people to “look up and look out” for thieves, while the force offers free phone marking to help return recovered devices to their owners.
The campaign has extended to additional patrols in areas prone to violent and anti-social crime, with analytics showing that a quarter of violent offences against the person occur in less than two per cent of City streets.
Last year saw over 11,000 hours of additional patrols carried out, reducing serious violent crime and leading to more than 250 arrests.
The campaign targets violence in the night-time economy, sexual offending, rough-sleeping and begging-related crime and anti-social behaviour, robbery of personal property, including phone snatching, and shoplifting and business robbery.
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Cyclists have been recorded travelling through red lights in London
Dr Spencer Chainey, Professor at UCL’s Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science, said: “Over the last six months, we’ve been working with the City of London Police to better equip them in identifying hot spots and problem-oriented policing to address the crime challenges in the City.”
He explained that hot spot policing involves targeted deployment of high-visibility foot patrols to places where crime concentrates, while the problem-oriented approach develops solutions addressing conditions that make crime conducive in high-crime areas.
Tijs Broeke, Chair of the City of London Police Authority Board, said: “This campaign is about action.
“We’re listening to the concerns of residents and workers on issues like phone snatching, anti-social behaviour and reckless cycling, and taking clear, visible steps to tackle them.”
