Simon Falush: ‘On top of everything that’s happening, with friends in hospital and myself showing symptoms, to worry that you’re not going to get any income is only adding to the stress’

SELF-EMPLOYED cycle instructors in the borough are worried about feeding themselves and losing their homes as they face a summer without work, and are calling on Transport for London and local authorities to honour booked lessons cancelled by coronavirus.

Instructors working for Islington Council told the Tribune they relied on the income earned at schools and individual lessons during the busy spring and summer months to get them through the quieter winter period.

But with TfL only guaranteeing to honour bookings cancelled with two weeks’ notice, some cycle instructors now face being up to £3,000 a month out of pocket during the summer.

A spokesman for the Mayor’s Office said TfL couldn’t guarantee future arrangements at this time because of unprecedented reductions in passenger numbers and fare income.

Islington Council has said they are supporting cyclists beyond TfL, and are offering a 50 per cent payment of any courses cancelled with less than four weeks’ notice.

“It’s not an easy situation for anyone, but cycle instructors have been hit really hard,” said Suami Rocha, who is employed by Islington Council to give lessons.

“All of our work has completely disappeared overnight. I got paid personally up to the beginning of April, but have nothing coming in now until June.

“I have two young children and a wife who works part time, and we’re worried about what is going to happen over the next few months.

“From now until August is the busiest time for instructors, and I would be earning at least £2,500 a month. That money usually sees us through the winter months.

“I won’t get a lot from the government’s self-employed package in June because it takes the average. The average of March to July is way lower than the 12-month average because our work is very seasonal.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to pay rent. Hopefully Universal Credit will cover it, but I have no idea how it’s going to work.”

Suami Rocha at work

Another cycle instructor who works for Islington council said she had already run into difficulties paying her council tax after losing so much income.

Earlyna Edwards, who lives in Stoke Newington, said the impact had been so huge she had had to rely on food handouts.

“This is usually when I’m busiest,” she said. “I’m usually in schools and am doing one-to-ones with individuals. I can easily make £3,000 a month, working 9am to 7pm.

“They’ve offered to honour two weeks of work, but that won’t kick in until June. I’ve had to apply for Universal Credit. I’ve only been self-employed for around a year, so I don’t know how the government’s help is going to help me.

“It’s been a case of cutting down on everything. I’ve even had to rely on places giving out food, which I’ve never done before.”

Simon Falush lives in Hackney but also works for Islington Council as a self-employed cycle instructor. He told the Tribune he was self-isolating after coming down with coronavirus symptoms, but said cycle instructors could be doing lots to help the boroughs who have booked them during the crisis.

“Obviously on top of everything that’s happening, with friends in hospital and myself showing symptoms, to worry that you’re not going to get any income is only adding to the stress.

“We could be doing a lot. We could be delivering supplies, and every cycle instructor is trained to teach children and vulnerable people, and has had the relevant checks. I don’t know why TfL or the boroughs aren’t honouring the payments and making use of our skills.”

A spokesman for the Mayor’s office said: “Cycling instructors play an important role in encouraging and enabling Londoners of all ages to get on a bike. TfL supports and provides funding to boroughs to deliver cycle training, and we asked them to honour the first two weeks of payments following the closure of schools due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“However, given the unprecedented reductions in passenger numbers and fare income that TfL is currently grappling with, it is unfortunately not possible to guarantee future arrangements at this time.

“The reality is that London urgently needs government funding to maintain all aspects of our transport network, including cycling schemes.”

Islington’s transport chief Rowenna Champion, said: “In line with TfL policy, the council is committed to paying cycle trainers for any training that is cancelled with less than two weeks’ notice.

“On top of this, Islington’s long-standing policy is also to pay 50 per cent of costs for courses cancelled with less than four weeks’ notice, so we are supporting instructors, as we always have done, beyond the TfL policy.”