Over a thousand cyclists in London dress as 'corpses' to protest poor traffic conditions
According to the UK's Daily Mail on November 30, recently, more than 1,000 Londoners gathered on bicycles in front of the headquarters of the Transport for London in the Southwark area of central London to mourn the six people who died in cycling-related traffic accidents in November, while also protesting against the poor traffic conditions in London.
At the protest site, Londoners lay on the sidewalk in front of the Transport for London headquarters, with their bicycles also lying beside them, simulating the state of having died in a traffic accident, as a form of protest. Some also lit candles to mourn the six citizens who died in cycling-related traffic accidents this month.
Donnachadh McCarthy, 54, one of the organizers of the protest, said, "We gathered in front of the Transport for London headquarters, lay on the ground, and turned on our bike lights to remind government officials of the spirits of those who have died in traffic accidents over the past eight years. They are responsible for the poor traffic conditions and should take action to improve them. We should be able to ride our bikes freely throughout the city, but now that’s all impossible. We want to travel safely and we want an independent cycling network to ensure our safety."
Leon Daniels, the director of surface transport at Transport for London, said: "Meeting the demands of the protesters is our top priority at the moment. The government has allocated £1 billion to upgrade the highway system, and the mayor and we will implement the road improvement plans as quickly as possible."
On November 25, the London police deployed 650 officers to direct traffic at 60 busy intersections. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: "We hope this targeted operation will effectively raise cyclists' awareness of safety."