Tower Hamlets Wheelers
NEWS RELEASE 14 February 2003
EMBARGOED until 06:00 hours Monday 17 February 2003
Ref THW05CCBanner140203
Photo/filming opportunity: 'Cycle for FREE!' giant congestion charge banner
stunt (plus two other visual activities)
An 18m banner stating 'Cycle for FREE!' will be unveiled from the top of the
Millennium Green Bridge over Mile End Road, E3 on Monday 17th February at
06:30 a.m. by the Tower Hamlets Wheelers (1), to coincide with the start of
the central London congestion charge at 7 a.m.
This will be an excellent visual stunt and great opportunity for photos and
filming. (2) By 7 a.m. it will be light.
The Mile End Road leads into Aldgate and the congestion charging zone and
the idea is to promote cycling to motorists who will have to pay the charge
from 7 a.m. The banner will be highly visible on the approach westwards
into town. It will be smartly produced: no hand-written scrawl.
We aim to keep the banner in place until 10 a.m. but the best opportunity
for pictures will be earlier rather than later (in case we get told to take
it down!). We will use a bicycle trailer to transport the banner to the
bridge.
Then at 8:20 a.m. the Wheelers 'bicycling bus' service will depart from Mile
End Tube station, escorting on their bikes Tube users fed up with Central
Line failure and motorists who wish to avoid paying the congestion charge.
This will be a good opportunity to talk to people who have now switched to
using their bicycles.
Please see previous news releases for details: refs
THW02congestioncharge040203, THW03CentralLine040203, and
THW04CentralLine110203 at 'news/media'
http://www.towerhamletswheelers.org.uk We will be joined by Newham London
Cycling Campaign who will have started the service from Stratford and
Redbridge LCC who start from Wanstead station at 7:55 a.m.
The 'bus' convoy will reach the edge of the congestion charge zone by 8:35
a.m. where at the junction of Bishopsgate and Brushfield Street (a quiet
side road with cycle-access only at the eastern edge but plenty of parking!)
the Wheelers will be cracking open champagne to celebrate the start of the
congestion charge.
The Wheelers have produced a congestion charge T-shirt to highlight the
advantage of going by bicycle to motorists (please see
http://www.towerhamletswheelers.org.uk/cc-tshirt) and several Wheelers will
be wearing them on Monday.
Throughout the activities spokespersons will be available from the group. We
will be taking our own pictures which will be available for use on request
and also on the web - please contact Alix (details below).
We do ask for the embargo to be respected. Many thanks.
We hope to see you there!
ENDS
For more information please contact
Alix Stredwick home: 020 8880 6873 mobile: 07903 606 330
Notes
(1) The Tower Hamlets Wheelers is the local cycle action group in the east
London Borough of Tower Hamlets (the East End), campaigning for better
cycling facilities and encouraging more people to cycle - for health, the
environment and for London. The Wheelers are affiliated to the London
Cycling Campaign, the largest urban cycling campaign in the world.
(2) The Green Bridge is right next to Mile End tube station, at the junction
with Burdett Road and Grove Road. It was built using lottery money to
celebrate the millennium, and it has won awards for innovation. The concept
came from local people who wished to unite the two parts of Mile End Park
dissected by the massive Mile End Road.
Tower Hamlets Wheelers
wheelers@towerhamletswheelers.org.uk
www.towerhamletswheelers.org.uk
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