Following the fatal collision on March 18, a campaign to fully pedestrianise Strand Campus has attracted significant support from students at King’s College London, with the Change.org petition currently sitting at over 3400 signatures.
Roar spoke to Campaign Lead, Tim Borgeaud, to find out more about why he started the movement, his biggest challenges and the chances of the campaign’s success.
Roar: What initially made you want to start this campaign to fully pedestrianise Strand? What was it about the tragic accident that inspired you personally to take action?
Tim Borgeaud: I did not personally know Aalia. However, I was on campus during the tragic events of March 18. When I was 18, a friend of mine was heartbreakingly killed in similar circumstances and so I feel a sense of duty towards the students that come after me. The campaign is not about me; it is about Aalia and making sure that her passing is not in vain. We see this time and time again, tragedies happen, outrage ensues and gradually people not directly impacted forget. Aalia deserves a legacy.
R: How has support for this cause evolved, given the time since the collision? Are people still as adamant in demanding action from the University following the weeks after the accident?
T: Naturally, there is a general loss of momentum in signatures to the petition. I don’t think this is because people have lost interest in the cause but rather the natural, emotional response starts to wane. Our numbers are still creeping up gradually and I hope this conversation will motivate others to sign the petition. But the timing of the Easter holidays indeed works against us as people begin to focus on their summer plans. The support is there though.
R: Have you been in contact with the victim’s family? What do they think about the proposal?
T: The CEO of KCLSU has been in constant contact with the family and has been managing the relationship that they have with our campaign. Our thoughts are with the family of the victim, but we are also aware that it is still a raw time for them and want to respect their grief.
In this sense, we have taken the approach of letting them come to us when they feel ready to and we will welcome their thoughts and concerns with open arms.
R: Why should students support the campaign and what collective efforts can be made to push for this change?
T: For students, pedestrianisation is a fairly uncontroversial issue. We want to feel safe on campus and having a road through the middle of an area that is flanked with chairs and benches creates a dissonance in our shared space. KCL leadership is eager to reference the new pedestrianisation of Strand, so they have to back that up. It is the right of students to obtain what is promised in this sense. For now, we ask for continued support to our petition. The more support we can garner, the more credibility we will obtain when we meet with Westminster City Council in the summer. I also encourage readers to email their respective Deans and Vice Deans with their concerns to press the importance of this cause.
R: What has the progress been like on the campaign? Give us an idea of the steps you’ve taken and if full pedestrianisation is looking possible.
T: The campaign progress has been encouraging, whilst I cannot go into detail about too many of the conversations, some of our key milestones involve being officially ratified by KCLSU as a student campaign, obtaining over 3500 signatures on our petition, engaging with urban planners on how best to approach logistical issues and engaging with senior stakeholders at King’s about the issue. We will also be delivering our findings to the University Executive come June, with plans to begin engagement with neighbouring buildings next month and approaching Westminster City Council in the Summer.
The reality is the progress is slow, as is expected for these things. To grossly misquote JFK, “we do these things not because they are easy but because they are hard.” I would not be doing this if I thought full pedestrianisation was impossible.
R: What have been the most significant obstacles you’ve encountered so far and how are you addressing them?
T: The main frustration is that the political process is slow, obtaining response from stakeholders that are unwilling or uninterested to change the status quo can be frustrating. Persistence in this sense is key and another reason why the size of the petition is relevant. It shows the plurality of people who hope for change. It is a beacon for hope, for youthful exuberance towards real, tangible change. This makes the challenges worth it.
R: Critics might argue that the site of the collision was pedestrianised, so what changes would full pedestrianisation make? How do you respond and how does your proposal differ to what exists now?
T: This is a logistical detail, but worth addressing. The tragic accident did indeed occur on the pavement, wherein a driver under the influence of drugs crashed through a gate from the India House parking lot.
The only access to that lot however, is through the “pedestrianised area” between Bush House and the Strand building. Hence, if the zone were to be truly pedestrianised, there would not have been a van there in the first place. This speaks to a bigger issue that goes far beyond the accident — if the area is pedestrianised, why do we see vehicles drive through it constantly?
R: How can King’s or the council act to mitigate the risks of a collision like this happening again if pedestrianisation is not possible?
T: There is a lot of scope for change on a smaller scale. Limited entry and exit times, clearer delimitation of the road and the pavement, flashing amber beacons as are present in front of the Royal Courts of Justice. However, the reality is we remain committed to pedestrianisation as we feel it to be a worthwhile pursuit as well as in the best interest of our students, staff and visitors. There is a bigger question here of what we want our shared spaces to be, and I would argue that if Sadiq Khan can pedestrianise Oxford Street, our humble sliver of road should be much simpler.
To add your voice to the campaign, sign the petition here.
Contact details for the Campaign Team are as follows:
Tim Borgeaud – Campaign Lead: [email protected]
Luca Kelly – Campaign Treasurer: [email protected]
