Giz us the money

Cycling investment frozen stiff

Gis us the money

Anyone watching the European cycle road race championships from Alkmaar in the Netherlands on Eurosport TV at the weekend can’t have failed to have noticed the well-designed cycle routes on every road.

Britain has nothing like it. Nothing even remotely approaching the provision for cycling in the Netherlands can be found anywhere in the UK.

And it is not for want of asking.

We’re asking again. Or rather Paul Tuohy, Chief executive of Cycling UK, is. He has written to all Cycling UK members and asked them to write to the transport secretary in a bid to get the government to invest in cycling.

The bid to get decent investment in cycling has become the longest running farce in the sorry tale of UK cycle campaigning because successive governments simply refuse to budge.

In 50 years the ending never changes.
There are good ministers who agree with everything the campaigners proclaim about the undoubted benefits to making cycling safer on the roads, that this needs serious investment.

And the government of the day then does fuck all about it.

Well, they pass the buck to Local Authorities who generally haven’t a clue –with the notable exception of Manchester today - still less any money.

Even so, the Bee Network initiative in Manchester, devised by former Olympic champion Chris Boardman, is being driven by cycling friendly Mayor Andy Burnham. And I wonder if it is written in stone that his work continues when he goes?

As regards the national picture, the sad fact is that in recent years the Treasury has gradually reduced spending on cycling to less £1 per person.

The day the government agrees to put the £billions into cycling as transport is the day pigs will fly.

Nevertheless, as hopeless as it seems, nothing ventured nothing gained.

Cycling UK’s appeal does deserve the wider support of the growing cycling public.  Even though the transport secretary will probably have no more luck than any other MPs have had over the past 50 years trying to get decent money for cycling out of the Treasury.

Why is this cycling investment a non-runner?  Word has it that after the War when motoring became affordable and car ownership soared, the government considered it wise to facilitate this growth so that drivers could motor anywhere they wanted.

And ever since, every government has feared doing anything that may be construed as a restriction of this precious right. And lose votes!

You might think that with the huge rise in numbers of people cycling – over £2million now ride once a week – the government might respond.

Surely, cycling is now vote winner. Especially as the majority of cyclists are also drivers.

Over to Paul who says: 

How does the Government hope to double levels of cycling without at least doubling the money it invests?

That’s the question I asked the Transport Secretary when I wrote to him last week.

Over 1,500 members and supporters also wrote to him asking the same question. Given changes in various ministerial posts in recent days it’s perhaps no surprise that we’ve not received responses yet, but the appointment of Chris Heaton-Harris MP as the Minister gives us a golden opportunity to pile on the pressure for proper investment in active travel.

That’s why I really need your help.

Replying to constituents who wrote to him about our funding campaign, Mr Heaton-Harris said:

“It seems strange that for ages cycling has been seen as a niche activity, rather than a normal activity for all. If we can increase levels of walking and cycling, the benefits are substantial. For people, it means cheaper travel and better health. For business, it means increased productivity and increased footfall in shops. And for society as a whole it means lower congestion, better air quality, and vibrant, attractive places and communities."

I couldn’t agree more, and he’s now in a position to do something about it!

So, I’m writing to ask him to do just that, explaining that we’re currently facing a climate crisis, a congestion crisis, a pollution crisis and an inactivity-related health crisis.  Underpinning all of these is a long-term ‘underfunding of cycling and walking crisis’.

Good luck, Paul.