Our investigation last week into the abandoned bike parts filling Disraeli Road’s double-decker racks has prompted councillors and residents to reveal the problems run far deeper than neglected maintenance.
Local councillor John Locker disclosed that the oversized racks create a safety hazard for cyclists using the borough’s new contraflow cycle route. Reader Lydia Tapping revealed the racks enable theft through poor design and lack of CCTV – losing a £260 bike herself. And resident James Becker called for the racks to be removed entirely to ease traffic congestion.
The responses suggest the racks, installed years ago as a compromise when there was no space at Putney station, have become a focal point of frustration affecting cyclists, drivers, and the wider community.
Blocking cycle route exit
Locker, who represents Thamesfield ward, warned council transport officers about a safety problem when they consulted on new cycle routes across Wandsworth. When cars queue at the junction, there’s no space for cyclists to navigate safely from Norroy Road across Putney High Street because the racks occupy the space they need.
“When cars queue to exit there isn’t space for a cyclist to safely leave from Norroy Road and cross Putney High Street to enter Disraeli as the bike rack takes up so much space on the left hand side,” Locker explained.
The problem stems from the borough’s decision to make both Norroy and Disraeli Roads contraflow cycle routes, allowing cyclists to travel west to east on roads that are one-way east to west for motor traffic. The intention was to help cyclists avoid busier roads like Upper Richmond Road.
But the junction where cyclists exit hasn’t been reconfigured to accommodate the new route, leaving cyclists trying to navigate around queuing cars with the oversized bike racks blocking the space they need.
The council officers acknowledged Locker’s concerns and “verbally assured” him they would fix it as part of their programme of works on the new cycle routes. The reconfiguration has not been scheduled. Locker said he would chase the transport department to find out if the work has been programmed.
Design enables theft
Putney.news reader Tapping, commenting on our investigation, noted that the stripped bikes filling the rack spaces are the result of theft.
“The bikes in those racks are not abandoned. They are remnants of stolen bicycles because the council structure is wholly useless,” Tapping wrote. “Having had three bikes stolen in London over the years I’d never had a bike stolen again for 20 years until 2024.”
She lost her 20-year-old Kona Firefox, which she’d recently had completely overhauled for £260, from these specific racks. The double-decker rack design makes it impossible to secure both wheel and frame properly – the standard security advice from the Metropolitan Police.
There is no CCTV coverage over the racks, despite the council investing in expensive double-decker infrastructure at a prominent location near the station. This means thieves can strip bikes with no surveillance deterrent.
The Met Police promote a bike tagging scheme, but Tapping said when she encountered community officers promoting it months after her theft, they were “unable to understand” when she asked if they recovered tagged bikes and contacted owners. “A passerby told me not to waste my time with tagging and just make sure to get a decent double lock,” she said.
Traffic obstruction
Becker, also commenting on our story, called for the racks to be removed entirely. “The racks should be dismantled and the road widened to make way for a second lane dedicated to cars turning into Putney High Street,” he wrote. “The traffic on Disraeli Road is sometimes 20 cars deep with many cars looking to move on through Norroy Road.”
His view reflects driver frustration at a junction where traffic flow has become a significant local concern, with many months of severe and ongoing congestion in the area.
Compromised from the start
Locker said the racks were installed years ago as part of a wider London initiative to provide cycle parking at rail stations, possibly with central grant funding. Located on Disraeli Road because there was no space directly in front of Putney station, they were expected to serve commuters cycling to the station.
That expectation never materialised. Our inspection on Tuesday found 59% of spaces completely empty, with only 16% of total capacity used by functional bicycles – some showing cobwebs on the gears suggesting they hadn’t been moved in months.
“Clearly it hasn’t attracted demand and has become rather tired and ugly,” Locker said. “I am sure a much smaller single-level rack will suffice and had spoken to officers about it.”
Council policy announced in March 2023 requires abandoned bikes to be tagged and removed within 14 days if unclaimed. The rust patterns on bikes at Disraeli Road suggest months of abandonment, indicating the policy has not been enforced at this location.
Multiple problems, single solution
The responses to our investigation reveal infrastructure that simultaneously creates safety hazards for cyclists, enables bike theft through poor design and lack of security, obstructs traffic flow, and serves as an eyesore of stripped bike parts.
A replacement would need to address multiple requirements: properly sized to match actual demand, designed to allow both wheel and frame to be secured, covered by CCTV to deter theft, and positioned to allow safe cycle route access whilst not obstructing traffic flow.
Alternatively, as Becker suggests, the space could be returned to road use entirely – though this would mean removing cycling infrastructure at a time when the council champions active travel.
Wandsworth Council’s press office did not respond to questions sent last week about why the 14-day abandoned bike removal policy has not been enforced at this location, when it was last inspected, or whether the council has plans to address the chronic underutilisation.
Putney.news has also contacted the council’s transport team asking when the junction reconfiguration will be scheduled and why no CCTV coverage is provided at the racks.
We’ll keep tracking this story develops as momentum builds among councillors and residents for action on infrastructure that appears to satisfy no one while creating problems for multiple groups.
This story will be updated when the council responds.
