Royal Parks call for cycling apps to remove Regent’s Park route after death of elderly woman in 29mph crash

14 May 2024, 10:20 | Updated: 14 May 2024, 10:32

Royal Parks has called for Regent’s Park to be removed from cycling apps after a pensioner was killed following a crash with a rider.

The organisation, which cares for London’s most famous parks, has written to Strava and other GPS app companies to ask for the removal of the Outer Circle from their tracking devices.

They have also contacted cycling sports clubs to remind them that cyclists using any royal park are required “to observe the motor vehicle speed limits for the park”.

It comes after cyclist Brian Fitzgerald was doing laps of Regent’s Park as part of a “fast group” of cyclists when he collided with Hilda Griffiths, 81, who was crossing the road to a pedestrian island.

He had been completing timed laps using a Garmin watch, which uses GPS to track his movements, speed and record his lap times.

A Royal Parks spokesperson said it has now launched a review to look at how they can keep pedestrians safe.

They said: “We are working closely with the police and other partners, notably the Crown Estate Paving Commission, to review if there are any additional measures we can put in place to encourage safe cycling in the park, as we have done in Richmond Park where we have introduced raised crossing points, improved signage and other road infrastructure.

“We were extremely sorry to hear of the incident which resulted in the death of Hilda Griffiths,” the spokesperson added.

“We take visitor safety extremely seriously.

“The speed limit for motor vehicles in Regent’s Park is 20mph and this is clearly signposted on both the Outer and Inner Circles."

Mr Fitzgerald, a vice president at Credit Suisse, avoided conviction following Ms Griffiths’s death because speed limits do not apply to cyclists in the same way as motorists, a court heard.

Read more: British woman who saved her twin sister from crocodile attack is first to be given King's bravery medal from Charles

Read more: 'Something has to change': Son of pensioner who was killed in collision with speeding cyclist says deaths 'inevitable'

Mrs Griffiths’ son, Gerard, 52, told Matthew Wright on LBC: “The park is used mainly by families with children, people with dogs. I’m sure my mum is not the first one to be encountering a group like this but she is the first one to be killed by one.

“Something has to change across the board with the law, not just for the speed limit of parks, it’s got to be in general.

“It’s a culture that has grown over the years and it was inevitably going to happen. Unfortunately, my mother was the victim of it but at some point, something like that was going to happen because they neither have the will nor obligation to stop.”

Mr Fitzgerald said there was “zero reaction time” and that the cyclists did not need to obey the 20mph limit as “the legal speed limit does not apply to cyclists (the same) as motorists”.

Police concluded there was “insufficient evidence for a real prospect of conviction” and the case was closed with “no further action”.

LBC speaks to son of pensioner killed in fatal collision with cyclist

Detective Sergeant Ropafadzo Bungo told Inner West London Coroners Court there were “no specific” signs indicating a speed limit for cyclists and a police review concluded “there were no criminal acts which would allow prosecution” should a cyclist exceed the general speed limit.

Former Tory Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has since vowed to close a loophole in the government’s Criminal Justice Bill which enables cyclists to avoid prosecution for speeding.

Under the planned amendment, which has so far been backed by 37 Conservative backbenchers, cyclists would be subject to the same scrutiny as other road users.

Since 2013, more than 30 pedestrians have been killed by cyclists in England and Wales, the MailOnline reports.

Figures from the Department of Transport show that more than 1,420 pedestrians have been killed or seriously injured.

Mr Duncan Smith said: “I want to bring cyclists in line with other road users. I saw Matt Briggs this week has been campaigning for a change in the law following the tragic death of his wife, Kim. I thought ‘sod this, I can help’.

“This is mainly a problem with male cyclists who do not think that the law applies to them and who think they can ride at any speed without consequence.

“There are others who are riding electric bikes with big, chunky tyres travelling in excess of 30mph.”