Croydon Council has had £2 million of transport funding frozen by Transport for London (TfL). This action follows the council's removal of protective wands separating cyclists from traffic along a cycle lane on London Road, which TfL had helped fund.
TfL initiated the freeze after discovering the removal of the wands via the borough's mayor's Instagram account. TfL stated that the council acted without its consent and has cautioned other boroughs against similar actions. Funding will resume once Croydon Council repays the £234,917 spent on the scheme since 2020-21.
Croydon's Conservative mayor, Jason Perry, said the scheme had endangered cyclists and obstructed emergency vehicles. He confirmed the council had agreed to repay the amount. Croydon is currently revising its Local Implementation Plan (LIP) submission at TfL's request and has committed to full repayment. The funding will be released once TfL reviews the new submission and confirms it meets the fund's requirements.