Cyclist lobby must play fair and stop demonising drivers
THE Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, remains hell-bent on driving a political and social wedge between cyclists and drivers. He’s plotting a dangerous strategy against drivers with his recent colossal and unnecessary Congestion Charge hike, the further extension of his cashgrabbing pay-to-pollute emission zone – and by fast-tracking the construction of free-to-use dedicated cycle lanes.
The London Mayor knows there are votes in Lycra, fittingly borne out in the latest FairFuelUK survey of 25,000 road users, in which the contrast could not be starker. Some 87 per cent of dedicated London cyclists believe Mr Khan is doing a good job as mayor. To illustrate the growing divide, just 3 per cent of drivers agree with them.
Now this abyss between carbon-based fuel users and cyclists has been further widened by the Prime Minister’s recent gift of £2billion to cyclists – a decision made while knowing that £2.4billion has been lost in fuel duty during lockdown. One might ask: where is the traditional Tory fiscal prudence now?
MOTORISTS did not vote for the Green Party in the General Election. But that is what we’ve got. Backbench Tories have told me they’re uncomfortable with the Government’s focus on the privileged cycling few.
Its disdain for (and lack of consultation with) the highesttaxed drivers in the world in the form of Boris Johnson’s socalled “bold vision” for cyclists is a huge betrayal.
Although only 3 per cent of journeys nationally are made by bike, their special treatment is set to decimate small businesses, the self-employed, lowincome families and city economies.
The Prime Minister and his Lycra-clad advisers are out of touch with economic reality.
Forcing hard-pressed drivers out of their vehicles through such costly virtue-signalling is as contemptible as it is regressive. For Boris’s sake, it’s good there is not an election tomorrow. His 80-seat majority would be crushed.
The growing conflict in road policy is being fuelled by the delusional belief that cycling is the ultimate transport solution. Anyone who cycles to work in London lives close enough to make that journey – which means they are almost invariably white-collar. Few builders cycle to work for eight hours of manual labour. The PM’s policy is a subsidy for the already welloff middle class.
Number 10’s special advisers have got this one wrong too, with their promotion of combination cycling and train travel. Taking a cycle on to a commuter train steals the standing room of up to four people and reduces it on trains.
Moreover, at the first sign of inclement weather, cycle lanes lie largely empty. Also, how many workplaces can tolerate dozens of staff queuing for the washroom to clean up before starting work?
It rankles with motorists – who contribute the fifth largest amount of any group to the Treasury – when the cycle lanes next to them are empty. While car drivers and motorcyclists pay for road space, this form of highway robbery swipes vast tracts of road away. It seems the Government is too scared to stand up to cyclists.
Drivers were happy to coexist with bicycles even though many on pedal power ignore the rules of the road. But now cyclists have gone too far, and it’s time to reclaim the streets for the people who actually pay for them. That the Mayor of already overloaded
London’s office now says there should be a 10-fold increase in cycling is ridiculous. Cycling has its place – but it’s a relatively small place.
This is a conflict driven by a minority of militant cyclists and now, demonised drivers are fighting back and calling for common sense.
All our campaigning group FairFuelUK asks is that we work together to produce a sensible road-user plan.
BUT too often, cycling groups reply with insults and a road plan for them alone. They don’t care if the elderly and disabled can’t park close enough to get to the shops, or that families with small children need to use cars.
And here’s another thing. In FairFuelUK’s survey, 90 per cent cyclists said they have relied on home deliveries during lockdown. Most of these deliveries were not made by bicycle. This selfish opportunism must be challenged.
Drivers are voters too, and the question any political party has to ask itself is this – are we willing to lose an election for the sake of more cycle lanes? This transport plan must be urgently rebalanced.
‘Few builders cycle to work for eight hours of manual labour’