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Taxi drivers have called for a popular central London cycle lane to be scrapped as its one-year trial comes to an end this week.

A row has broken out between cabbies and cyclists over changes made to the busy Camden borough route as part of a 12-month pilot scheme launched last November.

The temporary scheme saw the road, between Tottenham Court Road and Islington, became one-way with one lane of traffic shut and the extra space given to cyclists. The move to double the adjacent cycle track was made following concerns of bike overcrowding.

But the fate of the controversial road layout, which runs on Torrington Place and Tavistock Place, hangs in the balance as cycle campaigners and taxi drivers clash over the changes.

More than 13,800 responses have been submitted in the public consultation, which ends on Friday, on whether to keep the new bike-friendly layout.

It is the largest number of responses ever received in any one consultation, Camden council said.

The changes have seen an almost 52 per cent boost in the number of cyclists using the track and the level of noxious fumes in the area has dropped by up to a fifth, data shows.

But taxi drivers claim the one-way system creates more congestion and pollution on nearby roads and slows taxi journeys.

The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association has put forward a formal response to Camden council’s consultation and launched a 200-strong petition to bring back the old route.

However, Simon Munk, of the London Cycling Campaign, has urged cyclists to respond to the consultation to save the under-threat route.

“I think everyone should be worried about it,” he told cycling news website road.cc. “I absolutely think there is no foregone conclusion here.

“It’s not a done deal that the scheme will happen. It’s really important for people to respond to the consultation.”

Keen cyclist Scott Jenkins, 33, from Angel, said the doubling of the track has made a “huge difference” to his journey travelling from east to west and he hopes it will stay.

“Before it was two way, the cycle lane was not really wide enough," he said. "If you wobbled or swayed there would be a big pile-up.

“I think I would be quite surprised if it went.”

Among those backing the campaign to keep the temporary road layout is the president of UCL, Professor Michael Arthur, who said on behalf of the university he "strongly supports" the road layout changes.

Richard Massett, chairman of the LTDA, said: “The LTDA believes that at Tavistock Place a better solution can be provided by Camden council: one that works for all road users whilst still providing an improved space for cycling.

“The current measures do not achieve the desired benefits of reduced congestion and better air quality in the wider area.

“We have undertaken extensive engagement with a variety of stakeholders regarding Tavistock Place and have identified that a large proportion of residents and businesses do not support the measures as they currently stand.

“However, both these stakeholders and the LTDA do not oppose improvements in cycling provision in Bloomsbury more widely.

"Besides submitting a formal consultation response we have launched a petition to ask Camden council to reconsider their proposals in order to provide a two way motor route on Tavistock Place and Torrington Place."

A council spokesman said: "We have had 13,858 response to this consultation so far. This is the largest response we have ever had to a Camden council consultation. Camden council will be considering all views when analysing the results."

Councillor Phil Jones, cabinet member for Regeneration, Transport and Planning said: "Walking and cycling have clear health benefits for individuals, but less traffic is also good for London as a whole.

"Each journey switched from car to bike or walking reduces air pollution, noise and road danger, and frees up road space for essential motor traffic.”