In the clip, Jeremy Vine is seen once again passing a red light, after which he confronts the refuse collection staff about a bin lorry blocking a cycle lane.
Really need @CamdenCouncil to stop @Veolia trucks imperilling people who cycle. You can’t take a massive hunk of metal like this the wrong way down a cycle lane, no matter how important a job its operatives are doing. pic.twitter.com/6v6usIOzT4
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) August 5, 2023
One man collecting a bin responds: “See what we’re doing here – working, mate.”
When asked to comment on the matter by local newspaper Ham & High, a Veolia spokesperson said that it was “grateful to Jeremy Vine for bringing this to our attention” and that its vehicles “should not block or drive within cycle lanes”.
The spokesperson added:
“We are working closely with Camden Council to ensure our collection operations are safely carried out whilst maintaining the safety of cyclists and other road users, which is of the utmost importance. We have reviewed the lorry routes with Veolia and reminded them of the importance of drivers keeping cycle lanes clear at all times.”
The comments appear to subtly back Vine without apologising or criticising the driver – an understandable move given the staff shortages that have affected bin lorry collections across the UK in recent years.
As usual, the responses to Vine’s video were very much mixed.
In one post that tagged the police, a user wrote:
“Jeremy vine here has just filmed himself riding through a red light! We know Jeremy is passionate about road safety and is personally responsible for many people receiving fines for bad driving, so perhaps you could remind him that those laws apply to cyclists as well? I’ll be keeping an eye on this!”
Another laid into Vine for not showing enough support for the refuse collection workers:
“Yet again, having a go at people trying to do their jobs. You don’t support the bin men at all. It’s so they don’t have to cross the road into traffic. You only had to wait about 30 seconds at most. Selfish as always, Jeremy. Only care about Cyclists. Not anyone else.”
However, a number of Vine’s followers were also supportive, with one saying:
“Jeremy, I’ve noticed a particularly bad attitude from *some* Veolia operators towards cyclists both in Camden and Westminster. It’s as if they think the job they have is more important than anyone’s safety. It’s becoming a real problem, I’m glad you’ve raised it.”
Photo: Can Pac Swire / Flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0 (illustrative photo)