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My condolences to the family and friends of Sajjad Bilgrami. I am saddened and shocked by some of the comments made against cyclists here. One has to understand the family's grief and their feeling of helplessness. Their plea for safer roads is perfectly valid. Sajjad was their future and bicycles are our future. They are here to stay and need space and respect.

- Sharron, st. leonards-on-sea

Yet another terrible, tragic accident. Lorries are continuing to kill cyclists in London and something needs to be done to prevent this happening again. restricting the movements of HGVs during certain times of the day would certainly make sense whilst other solutions are explored.

the way forward though is less cycle lanes, not more. conditioning cyclists to stick within the 'safety' of the gutter leads to dangerous situations - sometimes fatal.

motorists need to learn how to share the road with everyone else, including cyclists. right now, this doesn't happen - and from the comments on this article, it seems that cyclists are just someone who is 'in your way' and if accidents happen, then hey, let's hope they dont scratch your precious car...

- Roger, london

My condolences to the family of Sajjad Bilgrami during this difficult time.

The fact of the matter is that most cyclist's deaths are caused by lorries, either due to the driver over taking the cyclist then turning left into the cyclists path, due to the cyclist undertaking the lorry, or the lorry pulling alongside/behind a cyclist at the lights and then accelerating whilst the cyclist is in their blind spot.

Cyclist also encounter close shaves from cars on a daily basis, due to bad driving, deliberate bullying on the road or driver error. In most cases the cyclist is just trying to stay alive, jumping lights and pavement cycling to get away from traffic traps etc etc, cyclist generally do not break the rules for fun, but to stay alive.

Cycling in the cycle path/gutter is quite frankly dangerous, this is where all the pot holes, man hole covers and debris collect causing the cyclist to swerve into the path of traffic, which can also cause accidents. Cycle paths also allow cars right of way to turn left across them, trapping any cyclist who may be in that section.

Cycling reduces oil dependence, carbon emissions, obesity, reliance on public transport and the cost of living.

It should not also reduce your life-span

Nuff said!

- Nuff-Nuff, London, UK

As a cyclist of 15 years experience, and a knowledge of the highway code, I think it would be highly impractical to ban either lorries or cycles. We need goods in our shops, and food in our bellies so it simply cannot happen.

It should also be noted that a good majority of cyclists do actually drive and are insured. What you see (as with car drivers, motorcycles and bigger vehicles) is a selfish minority who are RLJ'ing and pavement riding. The issue HERE is not the selfishness of road users but the situation a young man ended up in that lead to his death.

I think its worth staying on-topic, don't you?

- Dan Aka Downfader, Southampton

i knew sajjad, i go kingston college as well and we also went to the same high school as me and the way he died it a terrible loss. i believe their should be some form of change on out streets so people wont have their lives taken away from them like poor sajjad

R.I.P you will be missed

- Anthony, mitcham, london

I personally think that there should be a complete change of attitude on our roads. Seeing the points of view from both sides of the fence, it is difficult to put blame on anyone for this tragedy, or any other tragedy that happens in the near future. Therefore, what needs to happen we need to start teaching people from now how to respect others on our roads, and how to look out for others on our streets, instead of typically antagonising them, or this will sadly keep coming up.

- Lewis, London

reg london,
how do you think the shops that you use get their goods? use more rail freight ? what a stupid comment ! how do you get the goods to the shops from the freight terminal? and there is not one lorry subsidised by anyone except for the royal mail lorries.
ruth hackney,
these forums are for discusions and comments not arbituaries ! take note lesley from hastings ! the editor really needs to cut stupid comments not related to the articles that are just someones excuss to vent their spleens because someone has a different view from themselves.

- Peter, Hartlepool United Kingdom

Of course Mike, from London, KNOWS that ALL "cyclists treating red lights as being advisory, riding on the pavment and undertaking HGVs!"

He also knows that his description is exactly what Sajjad was doing.

And to top it all, he claims that Sajjad was victim of social darwinism. Not of the lorry driver not looking what turning, no. can't be.

All in the name of Health and Safety...Mike, I would like to add another prize for your post: most absurd anti-cycling post (banning bikes under health and safety regulations????)

- Mgm, London

I believe we have a winner for the most tasteless and offensive comment: Mike from London, please claim your prize.

You are truly the most offensive poster. You say that cyclists undertaking HGVs are at fault. You say this under an article about the grief of relatives for a young boy killed by an HGV. You are saying that it was his fault.

Truly, you make me sick.

- Jo, Tooting, London

this is a normal traffic rule that lorries are banned in city areas from 8:00am till 12:00am so the question raise here why the lorry came at that time please donot pass harsh comments on Sajjad Bilgrami because he was on his right track. in this case the government is responsible for the accidents.

- Sadaf Bilgrami, karachi -Pakistan

The real problem here is London's ancient road system is simply too narrow to take the modern weight of traffic. Lorries do pose a particular danger to cyclists because they require more room to turn and have reduced visibility. And Peter from Hartlepool, have some empathy please for the grieving father. I think he would be horrified to read your comments. You should be ashamed.

- Ruth, Hackney, London

A lot of these accidents are deliberate; I see several cyclists deliberately rammed after eye contact with drivers each week. What will have upset Mr Bilgrami most would be the court system letting the driver get off scot free. "Blind spot, your honour" etc., and they swallow it up without any driving suspension. I've no doubt this happened in this case - it always does.

Money for roads comes out of general taxation, and road tax would fall woefully short of the cost of maintenance of roads. Some councils even have a negative budget before starting repairs, because selfish motorists are making claims for damage from holes in roads they have created themselves.

Lorries in particular don't pay their way. Most damage to the roads comes from huge vehicles, and all these goods vehicles are effectively massively subsidised by everyone, including cyclists, through general taxation.

Lorries are not integral to the road system at all - certainly not the inner city one, for which they are totally inappropriate. What is needed is more rail freight, fewer unnecessary journeys, serious automatic financial penalties for freight companies involved in accidents, and a credit check for all goods vehicle drivers, who should also face a hefty fine which cannot be covered by insurance (say, the first £10k). They might then drive a little more carefully.

- Reg, London

Better still Peter, why not ban idiotic comments from scumbags such as yourself. Seriously, I think it's time for the This is London editor to stop allowing comments on any stories related to cycling, to stop them being sabotaged by the lunatic anti-cycling brigade.

- Lesley, Hastings, England

Another pointless death which adds futher evidence to the case for banning cyclists from using the roads on health the safety grounds. It is a joke that a person can buy a bicycle and immediatly cycle on the highway with no training and without passing even a basic road skills test. Perhaps this lack of training is the reason for cyclists treating red lights as being advisory, riding on the pavment and undertaking HGVs!


- Mike, london

To think of my best Friend even like a brother has gone, Robbed of his life because of a lorry. To what I have to say is, I think lorries/HGV’s should have a certain time faze on which that are aloud on the road to travel.

I have seen it in many other countries and it works. It cuts down so much traffic killings how ever you would put it, just to have a few hours in the morning and afternoon when there are children our children even your own child, maybe your father, mother husband or wife cycling going to and from work and school. I have seen so many people injured from lorry ether bumping in to them cutting them of or even not been able to see the cyclist.

This also applies to motorcycles. How many are injured or killed from lorries this year let alone last year I leave it for you to think the world or who ever reads this.

- James M, Streatham Vale

why not ban cyclists ? lorries are an integral part of the transport system ,they deliver the food and fuel and clothing we all need to live,i dont see any cycles contributing to the economy .Any death on the road is bad but its time to get rid of cyclists in city centres,they are to much of a liability to themselves and others.

- Peter, Hartlepool

Lorries carry and deliver food and goods. Cyclists get in the way and cause accidents. Which should be banned? Get real.

- Sandrino, London UK

Grieving father - entitled to his opinion.
If the son had been killed by a micro-car, would he be calling for a ban on them? A cab? An avg sedan? If the son had simply lost control, fell, hit his head, and died, would we be banning cycles?

What is required here is for the basic teaching that humans are fragile, and all the laws in the world, all the "cyclists have rights" movements cannot change that when fragile humans interact with larger objects, the humans seldom come out on top.

- Trunk, US

True Lorries should not be on the road Special when the school Timing Special when they know lots of parents n children will be using the road.....

May ALLAH Help the Family.... AMEEN

- Miss Zaidi, Suffolk...

OK lets ban knives because people get cut. Ban cars because people are killed and get in wrecks, Ban bicycles due to people falling off and getting hurt. All balls due to getting hit and hurt. and how about banning jogging becuse of leg injuries.

- John (Brit Exp Pat), Phoenix USA

My condolences to the family for this tragic loss. I hope that lessons are learnt from this and at least the council have a review of road safety, traffic flow and perhaps install cycles lanes to prevent more lives being taken in this preventable way.

- Smb, London, UK

Let me get this straight. Roads are for cars and trucks. They pay tremendous taxes for this privilege and these folks want trucks off the road for "Cycling?? Wouldn't it be move feasible to remoce the cycles?

- Ruckus, Myrtle Beach USA

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