Transport for London (TfL) has backed the council’s handling of the Cycle Enfield scheme after residents raised fresh safety fears.

TfL said it is satisfied the A1010 Hertford Road cycle lanes meet its design specifications and insisted safety is its top priority.

It comes in response to a complaint raised by a member of the Enfield Transport User Group (ETUG) that the council had put road users’ safety at risk due to poorly designed ‘floating’ parking bays.

The bays, which have been set out into the road to accommodate cycle lanes, have narrowed the section of carriageway between Tramway Avenue and Causeyware Road.

ETUG committee member Philip Ridley lodged a formal complaint with the council in response to an independent safety audit admitting the bays could give rise to “glancing blows” from passing vehicles.

Mr Ridley, who works as a town planner, said such a risk was “unacceptable” and the council should have included a buffer zone of half a metre between the parking bays and the carriageway to reduce the chance of vehicles colliding with car doors.

He said pedestrians and cyclists could be killed due to the lack of space and urged the council to make a number of changes to the section of road.

Mr Ridley said the report placed “unacceptable blame” on driver error and that the scheme should have been better designed.

He added that the report failed to consider the fact that the floating parking bays reduce cyclists’ visibility and force buses on to the wrong side of the road when pulling out of stops.

He also called on the council to permanently remove parking spaces north of the northbound Tramway Avenue and Cuckoo Hall Lane bus stops.

Nigel Hardy, TfL’s head of programme sponsorship, said: “Cycle Enfield will transform walking and cycling in the borough and reduce road danger for the most vulnerable road users.

“Safety is our top priority and we work closely with our partners, including Enfield Council, to review new cycling infrastructure.

“We are satisfied that the cycle lanes along the A1010 meet the designs we agreed with Enfield before construction.”

Residents reported cars being written off following a spate of accidents on the section of road since the roll-out of the Cycle Enfield scheme.

The council subsequently claimed its records showed there had been five minor accidents since the scheme was implemented, with no serious injuries.

A TfL safety audit published in August 2016 identified potential problems with floating parking bays set out into Hertford Road, including visibility concerns.

The auditors said they expected “behavioural change” on the part of drivers to reduce the risk of crashes and that narrower carriageways meant drivers would reduce their speed.