The new government should end the traditional culture war approach to active travel and start investing properly in safe cycle routes, the country’s largest cycling campaign group has said.
Cycling UK’s call comes after a survey it commissioned, which looked at the reasons why people don’t cycle, found that almost half cite safety concerns, with older cyclists particularly concerned about the issue.
The group is calling for consistent and committed investment in cycling as a means of transport – stressing that this would contrast with the approach taken at times under Rishi Sunak’s government.
Sunak and his transport secretary, Mark Harper, have opposed plans for low-traffic neighbourhoods, 20mph zones and bus lanes, seeking to rebalance roads in favour of drivers’ needs.
Harper, who lost his seat to Labor in the general election, has notably perpetuated myths about so-called 15-minute cities, a planning concept he falsely described as giving councils the power to decide how often people go to the shops.
The Cycling UK survey found that although 92% of UK adults know how to ride a bike, less than half actually do, and 48% of people cite road safety as a reason why they don’t cycle.
The association points out that while cycling is safer than many people think and has become even safer in recent years, the perception of danger remains a major barrier. This can often be addressed by cycling-specific infrastructure, such as segregated cycle paths, which 70% of people would like to see more of, according to the survey.
She called on the Labour government to spend 10% of the total transport budget on active travel, arguing it would bring huge benefits to public health and the environment.
“The results of this survey show that there is a real appetite in the UK to encourage more cycling, more routes and better infrastructure to keep people safe on their bikes,” said Sarah Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cycling UK.
“The public is aware of the benefits of this technology and wants to take full advantage of it. With political will and commensurate funding, we can make this future a reality.”
Mitchell called for any debate on the issue to be guided by evidence, saying that was not often the case in the latter stages of the previous government: “We hope that this kind of divisive rhetoric will be put to bed once and for all.”
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Lou Haigh, the new Transport Secretary, appears keen to move away from the Harper-era approach and has already signalled her desire to increase levels of active travel.
In remarks to Department for Transport staff when she took office, Haigh called efforts to make transport more environmentally friendly “a key thread running through every priority”.
“Huge progress has been made through your work on the shift to zero-emission vehicles and sustainable aviation fuels, and we look forward to building on this momentum,” she told them.
“But we will also immediately get to work to make public transport and active travel much more attractive.”
