Borough has highest cyclist road casualty rate in London, study finds - but council disputes figures

A league table published today (July 6) by the London Healthy Streets Scorecard also claims the borough has the lowest rate of walking and cycling.

A chart showing road collision casualty figures. (Image: Healthy Streets Scorecard)

A council spokesperson said the town hall does not recognise the statistics used in the study, adding the report authors are "significantly wrong" on things like road casualties.

The number crunchers used nine indicators, including the percentage of roads with 20mph speed limits, to create a scorecard for each borough.

London Healthy Streets Scorecard is a coalition of transport, health, road safety and green organisations, including London Living Streets and Sustrans.

It says the average, annual serious and fatal cycling casualties per 100,000 journeys made by bike in 2021 in Barking and Dagenham is 20.9. This compares to 2.5 in the lowest ranked borough, Havering.

The proportion of adults walking at least five times per week in Barking and Dagenham is 27.7 per cent, the study also claims.

In a joint statement, the coalition said: "It’s a bleak picture for the health of Barking and Dagenham’s streets.

"Barking and Dagenham has introduced some school streets - where traffic around schools is restricted at arrival and departure times - which is good news.

"But the borough has otherwise done little to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists."

A chart showing the percentage of people walking five times a week. (Image: Healthy Streets Scorecard)

The council spokesperson said the scorecard fails to measure government funding for healthy travel, which historically has been biased towards inner London.

"However, we are working closely with many of the partners involved in the coalition to improve road safety and increase active travel," he added.

The coalition said: "We desperately need action from the council in the next 12 months."

A chart showing the percentage of adults who cycle five times per week. (Image: Healthy Streets Scorecard)

The council spokesperson pointed to a number of measures including a borough-wide walking and cycling strategy.

Completion of the Ripple Greenway, cycle training for almost 1,000 children, traffic cuts in Station Parade and a bid for a healthy streets corridor along Dagenham Heathway are among further measures.

The local authority is also in talks over the possibility of an e-bike cycle hire scheme and Barking Riverside Ltd is creating London’s only healthy new town, which has improved cycling and walking routes.