Relations between taxi drivers and cyclists threatened to hit a new low today when it emerged that the leader of London’s cabbies had compared some riders to the Islamic terror group responsible for beheading its victims.
Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, said cyclists who campaigned vociferously for the Mayor’s cycle superhighways were “almost the sort of Isis of London”.
He said the LTDA had been “lambasted by the cycling community” when it first announced that it was considering seeking a judicial review of the cycle superhighway proposals – a position it maintains unless a temporary trial is introduced before any work to make the schemes permanent.
He told LBC radio:
These people, the zealots of the cycling world, are unbelievable. We have had cyber attacks on our websites. They are all over us like a cheap suit on Twitter and social media. We have had physical threats of violence. You name it, we have had it. It’s absolutely unreal.
“The loonies out there in the cycling world, they’re almost the sort of Isis of London. Their views and their politics – if you are not with them, and we are with the majority of it, then nothing is too bad for you. These people are unreal.
Andrew Gilligan, the Mayor’s cycling tsar, said: “It’s a remarkable thing to say and illustrates how badly a few people are getting this issue out of proportion.”
This morning Mr McNamara told me that he had probably gone too far but said he had received a series of “death threats” as a result of the LTDA’s stance. Mr McNamara insisted the LTDA backed the principle of the cycle superhighways as a way to improve safety but was extremely concerned at changes to traffic flow at Westminster bridge and around Parliament Square.
He said motorists heading north over Westminster bridge would no longer be able to turn right at Big Ben onto the Embankment. In addition, drivers heading west on the Embankment would not be able to turn right before Big Ben, forcing them round Parliament Square. He said a better route for the superhighway would be along Northumberland Avenue, avoiding any need for it to cut through Parliament Square.
He told me in relation to the Isis remarks: “Perhaps I would accept that was a bit strong. It was a live interview. I have had death threats. They say, ‘I hope people you know die screaming of cancer’. I’m convinced that if 99 per cent of cyclists knew some of the stuff we had received after expresing legitimate concerns, they would be horrified.
“I’m not going to be intimidated. I don’t take them seriously. We have not reported anything to the police because I don’t think there is anything in them. I think it’s just a few loonies, but they really have got a sort of religious zeal.
“Perhaps that was a bit strong [to compare them to Isis] but I can’t think of a single other movement in the world at the moment that behaves in such a vitriolic and aggressive manner.”
rosslydall 
“I have had death threats. They say, ‘I hope people you know die screaming of cancer’.”
I think this man needs to buy a dictionary and then head to the section beginning with “Th”.
interesting Steve McNamara,
my friend was nearly knocked off her bike by a black cab driver, to show her a lesson, must be really awful to be threatened with death. huh!
Well, I’ve had a few death threats from cabbies, over time. Mostly in response to taking the lane…
To compare anything to ISIS is pretty absurd, but to label cyclists (or indeed, anyone) who send others death threats as extremists who don’t represent the majority is absolutely correct. No one need “die screaming of cancer” (not sure this is actually a threat, but never mind) in my name thanks.
But I do still want a safe cycle route please….
“Perhaps that was a bit strong [to compare them to Isis] but I can’t think of a single other movement in the world at the moment that behaves in such a vitriolic and aggressive manner.”
Taxi drivers and their union. That’s who.
No need to thank me 😉
I was talking to a shop owner in November about provision for cycling and a black cab driver came up to us unprovoked and said that “all cyclists should be shot”. I’m not going to start comparing balck cab drivers to ISIS as that would be ridiculous, so why is Steve McNamara?
” I have had death threats […] I don’t take them seriously.”
So either the comparison with IS is utterly bogus or you don’t think they’re actually killing anyone either.
Well as a taxi driver I have always thought McNamara was a publicity seeking bafoon. Firstly the LTDA had, the last time I took any notice of them, 6000 members out of 24000 cab drivers so although they always ‘big themselves’ up as speaking for the London cab trade in reality, and at best, they speak for a quarter of the trade. If only the LTDA had supported the Superhighway scheme whilst putting forward the case for the best possible taxi access. That was the only logical and sensible course to take. Instead, McNamara and his cronies have done nothing but engage in nothing short if a ‘hate’ campaign against cyclicts over the years in its paper ‘Taxi’.
Thanks for bringing some common sense to this discussion John and reminding people that many cabbies are very reasonable friendly people.
Stop Killing Cyclists would very much welcome constructive debate with LDTA.
Donnachadh McCarthy
One senses a group which has the perception of being backed into a corner, and in a position they feel unable to step back from, by another group which they (irrationally) fear, and responding like a cornered wild animal by lashing out.
If Bez cares to contact by e-mail I’ll forward a 1939 cartoon by Streube illustrating how once a group, or individual, commits to riding a high horse, it becomes very difficult to dismount. The skilled part is finding a way to offer them a ladder to climb down, rather than fight the potential of being ignominiously knocked off.
It also suggests that a move for all commercial users of the road – LGV, PCV, Taxi, Private Hire, Uber, and the burgeoning fleets of vans now delivering online purchases (van sales are perhaps the only motor vehicle category showing a major increase – for this reason?) are all brough under a single regulatory regime, with the mission statement already applied by the Traffic Commissioners in dealing with LGV and PCV operators and drivers UK-wide – ” To prevent harm from the commercial operation of motor transport on the UK’s roads”.
Outside London we see a wide variance in the parochial arrangements for taxi licensing, which only a National standard, administered by an independent regulator can properly address, and as the taxi operators note, no regulatory standards for Uber, and some private hire operations, and nothing at all to ste standards and assess the ‘good repute’ of the ‘white van’ drivers and operators. Such a regine might even set a National framework for pedicab licensing.
We have the irony up here, of Glasgow Council (prompted I suspect by a strong taxi operators lobby) fighting to block licensing of pedicabs in Glasgow, and scheduled for yet another High Court session on 4 March to fight the case in Edinburgh, where the pragmatic Council and taxi trade have worked out a regime for licensing pedicabs… Now where have I seen that before?
Shall we sit down and talk?
“Perhaps that was a bit strong [to compare them to Isis] but I can’t think of a single other movement in the world at the moment that behaves in such a vitriolic and aggressive manner.”
With a statement like that this man is actually suggesting that cyclists are beheading people and burning them alive. And he is not even accepting that it was ‘a bit strong’ to compare cyclists to ISIS – merely that ‘Perhaps it was a bit strong’ etc. Such comments are utterly unacceptable without evidence to back them up. He should be ashamed and the taxi drivers he purports to represent should get rid of him. It does them no favours to be represented by someone with views like that.
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