How ‘sin bin’ for red light jumpers saves cyclists from being saddled with a fine

When Aman cycled through a red light in the City of London this week, he was surprised when the police pulled him over. He was positively shocked when, instead of giving him a fine, officers took him into a gazebo to watch a bike safety film.

Aman was one of 30 cyclists caught in the first 20 minutes that morning, as part of a new scheme by City of London police to dissuade cyclists from running red lights.

Many concerned pedestrians have celebrated the time-out zone and, perhaps more surprisingly, cyclists have too.

The new pop-up scheme, called “stop, look, listen, change”, gives offending riders the chance to view an educational film about the dangers of red light jumping. Those caught by police who do not want to pay a £50 fine are taken to a “sin bin” by the roadside, where they watch testimonies from visually impaired road users.

“It is about taking that time away,” said Rob McTaggart, media and engagement manager at City of London police. “Time they didn’t stay waiting for the light is now the time they’re having to spend watching the video. It’s a bit of instant justice in that regard.”

As cyclists continued to be corralled into the time-out zone, McTaggart said the police team had noticed no difference between the numbers of red light runners on hired e-bikes versus those on regular bicycles.

When the sin bin was first launched two weeks ago, roughly 70 people were brought in within 90 minutes, McTaggart said. None of the halted riders opted to take the fine.

Watching the safety film, McTaggart said, was useful for spreading road education.

“Right now you can jump on a bike without any training whatsoever,” he said. “It’s about that understanding that just because you can go, it doesn’t mean you should go. We’re not going to enforce our way out of it.”

Sgt Stuart Ford, who helped create the scheme, said it was inspired by the Exchanging Places initiative, where cyclists are brought into large goods vehicles to understand risks like blind spots and difficulties in manoeuvring.

Ford said he was sympathetic to cyclists – “You can quote me: I like bikes” – but added that police “get more complaints than anything else in the city around cyclists jumping lights and their behaviour”. He added: “I’m afraid to say it but a lot of the time, the cyclist is the protagonist here.”

Ford collaborated with the National Federation of the Blind UK (NFBUK) to understand how vulnerable road users are affected by riders skipping lights or riding on the pavement.

Hyacinth Malcolm, who is fully blind, said: “I’m just lost for words as to why they [cyclists] are behaving the way they’re behaving.”

Malcolm said she had to rethink before going out for a daily coffee because of the risk of cyclists colliding with her.

Sarah Leadbetter, a disability activist with visual impairments, also said the footways were not safe for disabled people and that things were getting worse.

She said she relied on a cane, her guide dog and the rotating cone at pedestrian crossings – a small, unassuming plastic or metal cone which is attached to the underside of the push-button unit.

But, she said, she could not be certain of her safety because cyclists “suddenly come through the red light and go straight into you”.

McTaggart said the scheme had sparked discussions across the country and that there was a “huge appetite for what we’re doing here”. In the last week, pedestrians have complained of cyclists riding through the recently pedestrianised Oxford Street.

Sarah Gayton, street access campaign coordinator from NFBUK, commended the new education scheme, but hoped to see the fine increased to £300 and further action taken by the government. “Something has got to give,” she said. “We need designs that work for everybody.”

While some have pitted cyclists and pedestrians against each other, Tom Fyans, CEO of the charity London Cycling Campaign, said he also wanted to see more changes in London’s road designs to better suit all road users.

Standing at the busy junction of Old Street roundabout in the east of the capital, he said: “London isn’t designed for cycling, it’s getting better, but it’s designed for cars. What we need to see is far more cycle-friendly, pedestrian-friendly designs where the car is less important. Then you’ll see a much safer environment for everybody.”

On the new scheme, Fyans said his charity supported the measures over what he believed to be ineffective monetary penalties. He said: “Punishing cyclists with fines and criminal prosecutions, it doesn’t really work. But getting them to think about their impact on other road users – hearts and minds – is much better.”

Fyans said most cyclists do follow the Highway Code, but that a focus on bicycle users was “disproportionate” and a result of the rising number of bike users on London’s roads.

“I think there’s double standards quite often,” he said. “We’re not the biggest danger. It’s cars and speeding and drivers not paying attention that kill people on our roads. That’s the biggest challenge that needs addressing.”

Fyans, who works with Wheels for Wellbeing – a cycling disability group – said he understood the dangers for visually impaired pedestrians and wheelchair users.

But can relations between cyclists and pedestrians be improved? “Let’s address it, but let’s be proportionate about what the real problem is,” he said. “Cyclists are not really the main problem on the road when it comes to danger.”