THE PROOF CYCLE LANES ARE LUNACY

A car races a bike across three cities. Guess who wins — and what it tells us about our gridlocked roads . . .

Everyone has experienced the seething frustration that comes with being stuck in traffic, especially when you’re late for work or picking up the children from school. But just why are so many of Britain’s towns and cities coming to a standstill?

Many motorists believe they have found the culprits — the hundreds of miles of new cycle lanes that take up swathes of roads in our busiest urban areas. Critics, including the Mail, point out that for much of the day these lanes are hardly used, leading to congestion for drivers at all times of day — not just rush hour.

In London, a £913 million network of segregated cycle superhighways, introduced by former mayor Boris Johnson, is said by many to be part of the reason why average vehicle speeds in the centre of the capital have fallen to 7.4mph — slower than in the 18th century.

So, are drivers really being left in the slow lane by endless bicycle lanes? To find out, HARRY WALLOP raced a fellow commuter, Katherine Clementine, across London, with both following the same route — he on a bike, she in a car. Two pairs of volunteers did the same test in Manchester and Bristol. To ensure we gave both modes of transport a fair crack of the whip, the races took place at rush hour and towards lunchtime, when motor traffic, in particular, should have died down.