A CYCLIST who accused Frideswide Square planners of failing to properly assess cyclists’ safety has prompted an internal review.

The campaigner, operating under the pseudonym ‘May Davies’, has pressured Oxfordshire County Council under the Freedom of Information Act for three months to reveal what risk assessments it had made.

‘Ms Davies’ says there is no space for cyclists between moving traffic and painted-on roundabouts leading to dangerous confusion.

The council released two “safety audits” and a risk assessment conducted before the scheme went ahead but ‘Ms Davies’ says none of the documents actually contains an objective assessment of cyclists’ safety as they cycle from one end of the junction to the other.

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In her last email on October 30 she wrote: “It seems to me that you have not provided the information that I have asked for, but have given me something different.

“I presume, therefore, that you have not undertaken a risk assessment of cyclists’ safety as they pass through the remodelled Frideswide Square. Please correct me if I am wrong.”

The council’s FOI co-ordinator replied on November 4: “In accordance with the council’s Freedom of Information policy, I will arrange for an internal review of your request to be undertaken.”

‘Ms Davies’ is not alone; a growing number of cyclists are saying the £5.8 million redesign, which has taken 10 months already, puts them in danger.

Katie Herring, who cycles through Frideswide Square four days a week to get to work, said as far as cyclists was concerned the new layout was “a joke”.

She said: “The road is too narrow to accommodate a car and a cyclist – there will be more incidents where cyclists get sandwiched between cars and buses.”

Chairman of Oxford cycle group Cyclox, Simon Hunt, said he had be contacted by members and non-members who were “astonished” by the new layout.

He said: “At the moment they believe there will be serious risks.

“Personally I think it is going to be extremely unnerving and maybe unsafe for cyclists using the road when buses are entering and exiting those bus bays on each side.”

He said the whole process of the safety audits which the council relied on was “deeply flawed” for the same reason that Ms Davies raised: “The process does not include cyclists or any other road user traversing from one end of the junction to the other and the hazards they face along the way.”

The county council said it would “complete” the dropped kerbs already put into the north and south sides of the square by adding bollards with traffic signs for shared use, as recommended by the safety audits.

Spokeswoman Emily Reed said the project designers had given cyclists travelling through the square the option to cycle on or off the road.

She said: “They can decide to use which option they feel most comfortable with using, but each route on road or off road has been designed based on British standards to meet safety requirements for all users.”

She said the audit team had considered cyclists’ safety and when the work was complete a further audit will be carried out, and, subject to its recommendations, “further work may be considered”.