Incorrect signs banning cyclists from certain manoeuvres at Oxford Circus have now been replaced successfully - at the second attempt. But there are still prohibitions on certain movements for all traffic and we have not yet been able to verify that these correctly reflect the appropriate traffic management orders.
At the end of November, we reported that a number of cycle movements were now prohibited at Oxford Circus, following the introduction of the diagonal crossing scheme. In particular entry into Oxford Street was banned, except for buses and taxis. We have still to see any evidence of traffic management orders enforcing these restrictions.
Following protests from cyclists, some modification were made. As the photo shows, the 'except buses and taxis' signs were replaced by blue 'cycles, buses and taxis only' signs - see photo. It was anyone's guess what this combination of signs meant - and it almost certainly contravened several guidelines.
We suspected that the blue 'cycles, buses and taxis only' signs were put up in mistake for ones with the words 'except buses, cycles and taxis'. This suspicion was justified - the correct signs have now been installed, exempting cyclists from the compulsory left turn. A number of manoeuvres are still prohibited for all traffic, notably most right turns and the left turn from Regent Street (north) into Oxford Street (east). Law-abiding cyclists remember making these turns before the new scheme was introduced. We have been given the numbers of the traffic management orders allegedly prohibiting these manoeuvres in 1981 and 2005 (numbers 433 and 123 respectively). But we have not yet managed to track down these orders to verify that they have been interpreted correctly.
Eagle-eyed cyclists may have spotted that the 'no entry' and 'cycles only' signs should be on each other's posts at this contraflow in Wardour Street.
The current arrangement seems to say that cyclists are not allowed to use the gap on the left but should use the main carriageway on the right - risking collision with on-coming vehicles.
And the 'cycles only' sign is facing the wrong way. Sorting that out is the easy bit!
Just out of the photo to the left, there's also a missing 'except cycles' beneath the 'left turn only sign'. And, in the other direction, there's a wrong 'cyclists only' sign.