Mourners will be forced to follow funeral processions through “gridlocked traffic” with Southwark Council installing bollards outside funeral directors F A Albin and Sons.
Erected last week as part of Cycleway 4, the bollards are part of plans to build a two-way cycleway along Lower Road, and prevent right turns onto Lower Road.
Employees and mourners will be forced to turn left towards the Rotherhithe roundabout, which is heavily congested when the Rotherhithe Tunnel closes.
Funeral director and company owner Simon Dyer said: “People are always coming in and leaving here and a lot of our funerals turn right and head to Kent. It’s totally unnecessary and thoughtless towards what we do as a business.”
According to a council consultation report, 69.1 per cent of people supported scrapping right turns from Culling Road onto Lower Road.
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The report showed commenters saying the changes would encourage cycling, look nicer and reduce congestion.
But Simon says their concerns haven’t been listened to. He said: “We’re replied to all the consultations to object to cycleways. Saying so many people support it is total lies because everyone I know has been against it.”
According to the consultation report, objectors have said the changes would increase congestion, pollution and cost too much.
Construction of Cycleway 4, which will mean an unbroken cycle route between London Bridge and Greenwich, began in July 2019.
In July, almost looked like the cycleway along Lower Road, the last section of the scheme, wouldn’t go ahead, as Transport for London (TfL) struggled to negotiate a funding settlement with central government.
TfL said the roadworks were managed by Southwark Council. The council has been approached for comment.