The “Cities fit for cycling” campaign has been launched by the Times newspaper. It is very sad that this has been the result of a tragic incident involving one of their reporters, who is a cyclist, but perhaps this will be the spur that helps us to start to get some changes made to the environment in which we cycle.
One of the elements of the campaign is to get people to write to their MPs, using their own words to express the importance of this matter. So, today, I wrote the following letter to my MP:
Dear David Crausby,
You may recall that I have written to you before about the serious need to improve conditions for cyclists on our roads. Whilst I was grateful that you did respond, and passed on my concerns to the relevant Government Department, I was also disappointed that you accepted their rather unsatisfactory replies without applying any further pressure.
In particular, when I wrote to you a year ago about the possibility of introducing a policy of “presumed liability” for determining liabilities in the case of road traffic incidents involving vulnerable road users, the reply seemed to boil down to: “There are many reasons why presumed liability ought to be introduced, which are backed up by research, but it might be difficult, so we don’t intend to bother.” A most disappointing response.
In our own town, I wrote last year to the Highway Authority about the very poor standard of cycle lanes in our area, and particularly on my own route to work, most of which do not even meet the standards set out in the DfT’s own guidelines on Cycling Infrastructure. The response I received contained a list of very weak excuses as to why the situation would not be addressed.
It seems we now have an opportunity to make a difference in this important area of concern, as there is an upsurge in awareness of the problems, triggered largely by the Times’s current campaign, which is itself the result of a tragic incident involving one of its reporters.
I will briefly summarise the main points as I see them. Cycling as a form of transport has the potential to address a number of the Government’s stated priorities, including: obesity and poor health, which affects quality of life; the cost to the NHS of such poor health; and excessive and unsustainable consumption of energy, with the associated effects on our environment. The current environment on our roads, however, does nothing to encourage an increase in the use of cycling as a means of transport, and in fact actively discourages it. Yet there is much that the government can do to change this situation.
I would like to draw your attention to the 8 point manifesto that has been set out by the Times newspaper in its “Cities fit for cycling” campaign and ask that you press the Government to do everything in its power to bring about improved conditions for cyclists on our roads.
Yours sincerely,
I have no idea whether this will do any good, but if you don’t try, you don’t get anywhere.