Two wheels good, four wheels bad for Brits

Britain could experience a transport revolution sparked by the coronavirus pandemic with up to 14-million people ready to swap cars for bikes, British Cycling believes.

However, the opportunity could be lost if towns and cities fail to follow department for transport guidance to provide new emergency infrastructure such as pop-up cycle lanes.

Despite a loosening of the lockdown measures designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, travelling on buses and trains is still discouraged by medical experts because of social distancing concerns.

The government has announced a £2bn funding package for “active travel” such as cycling and walking, with £250m available immediately for local authorities to make changes to their roads. Prime Minister Boris Johnson described it as an opportunity for a “golden age for cycling”.

British Cycling says it will work with the public and policymakers. Former Olympic champion Chris Boardman, a passionate advocate for safe cycling, is acting as policy adviser.

Boardman is helping transform Manchester’s cycling infrastructure in his role as the city’s walking and cycling commissioner. “Our country is at a crossroads, and we now face a stark choice between the old routine of cars, congestion and pollution or a new future of healthy streets, happy people and cleaner air,” British Cycling chief Julie Harrington said.

“All of our research shows that people want to cycle more, and we now urge local authorities to seize the moment and make the most of the support offered by government.”

British Cycling said that as part of its #ChooseCycling campaign it would use its network of 10,000 volunteers to assist those who want to return to cycling. “Enabling more people to choose cycling is vital if we want to ease pressure on public transport,” Harrington said.

A recent survey found that 28% of Britain’s adult population cycle less than once a month but would like to do it more.

It also says that increasing cycling to 25% of all journeys in the country by 2050 could provide more than £42bn of economic benefit, while increasing cycling by 3km per day and walking by 1km among urban dwellers could save the NHS £17bn over the next 20 years.

Boardman says Britain may never have a better chance to change the way it moves.

“Bike riding and walking have just proved how robust they are in any kind of crisis,” he told Reuters. “With people being told not to use public transport, cities have cottoned on to the fact that if they don’t do something there will be massive implications.”