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British Cycling and CTC hit the party conferences to call for action not words on "cycling revolution"

Chris Boardman and Jon Snow address MPs, mass bike rides in Manchester and Birmingham

Organisations including CTC and British Cycling are using this autumn’s party conference season, which starts today with Labour in Manchester, to lobby for safer conditions for cyclists, a year after Prime Minister David Cameron promised to bring about a “cycling revolution” in Britain. A mass bike ride calling for Space for Cycling will take place in Manchester this evening, with hundreds of cyclists expected to take part.

British Cycling’s policy advisor Chris Boardman and broadcaster Jon Snow, who is president of CTC, addressed an audience of Labour MPs and representatives of local authorities at a breakfast meeting in Manchester this morning, and a similar event is planned for the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham next week.

The two organisations are acting under the umbrella of the UK Cycling Coalition whose members also include Sustrans, the London Cycling Campaign, Cyclenation and the Bicycle Association.

Their appeal for cycling provision to be a central part of the nation’s transport policy is supported by transport minister Robert Goodwill and shadow transport secretary Mary Creagh, both scheduled to speak at their respective parties’ events.

The coalition was formed last year in the wake of the publication in April of the Get Britain Cycling report by the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group (APPCG).

The report urged the government, among other things, to commit to spend £10 per head on cycling with the aim of growing modal share to 10 per cent by 2025, but it received a lukewarm response from the government.

A petition set up by Times journalist Kaya Burgess calling on the government to implement the recommendations of the report, written at the end of a six-week enquiry hosted by the APPCG, received more than 73,000 signatures.

In August last year, announcing the cities that had won Cycle City Ambition funding, the Prime Minister said he aimed to launch “a cycling revolution” across the country, but campaigners say that it is action, not words that are needed.

Boardman, quoted on the British Cycling website, said: “The Prime Minister’s announcement last year about his desire to see a cycling revolution in Britain was of course welcome and I have no doubt that MPs of all political persuasions would love to see more people on bikes. Who wouldn’t?

“However, ‘revolution’ is a lofty word carrying real weight – and we know that a revolution cannot be realised on rhetoric alone. One year on, we’re still waiting for cycling to be given the priority it deserves rather than playing second fiddle to rail travel or motorised vehicles.

“At a time when obesity levels are at an all-time high, our local high streets need all the support they can get and the fact that most car journeys today are less than five miles, it defies belief that we’re still waiting for some decisive action from our country’s MPs.”

Meanwhile this evening CTC and the Manchester Cycling Campaign are holding a ride calling for Space for Cycling in the city this evening, with 200 local councillors who have supported the initiative, as well as all Labour MPs, invited to take part.

Hundreds of riders of all ages are expected to meet from 6pm at All Saints Park to take part in the ride, which starts at 6.30pm. A similar ride is sceduled for the Tory Party Conference in Birmingham next Monday.

CTC Space for Cycling co-ordinator, Robbie Gillett, said: “We’re glad to be supporting local campaign groups in calling for long-term, consistent funding for cycling across the country. There is already cross-party support to get Britain cycling, now it’s time to see firm commitments in all the parties’ manifestos to make that a reality."

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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16 comments

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rich22222 | 9 years ago
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Here is a link to the facebook event for the Birmingham ride next week
https://www.facebook.com/events/542695035863554/558070167659374

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Simon E | 9 years ago
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@ kie7077 - we already have lots of laws but every day I see speeding, mobile phone use, parking on double yellows and zig-zags, overtaking on double whites into oncoming traffic and plenty more... and that's before we get to the nasty stuff I mentioned previously.

@ bikebot - CTC's comment on those stats:

http://www.ctc.org.uk/news/government-planning-to-fail-on-cycling

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badback | 9 years ago
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The government could chuck a shed load of money at improving the cycling infrastructure but what they need to do is change the mindset of many British motorists, many of whom think the primary position is the first chapter of the Karma Sutra.

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bikebot | 9 years ago
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A little clipping from Private Eye last year that may be of interest.

//i.imgur.com/0Y4J8ib.jpg)

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Simon E | 9 years ago
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@ oozaveared - I don't know anyone who uses Strava on their commute to 'race' like that and it sounds a recipe for disaster.

However, I know lots of experienced cyclists who have too many close calls, receive abuse or even occasionally had things thrown at them from moving vehicles. I live in Shrewsbury, not Gaza; BMWs and Chelsea Tractors are the weapons of choice here.

It's far from an epidemic but it adds a needless layer of fear and trepidation to every ride, particularly the mornings when I ride through town. I've ridden on main roads and through busy towns since my school days, my issue is not lack of confidence in heavy or fast-moving traffic. It's that some drivers feel it's OK - or even their prerogative - to bully and intimidate cyclists. I find this intolerable.

That kind of behaviour is not restricted to lycra-clad enthusiasts like me, but we get it worse because we dare to take the lane, to ride more than a door's width from parked cars, to act as fellow road users not cap-doffing gutter dwellers. For some reason this is enough to prompt drivers to swerve at you. Drivers should respect my need to ride my bike on the same roads as they wish to drive yet too many only appear to respect something of similar size that presents a serious threat to their own vehicles. That is just not good enough.

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kie7077 replied to Simon E | 9 years ago
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@ Simon E

And this is why we need laws regarding minimum distance when passing, right now the highway code does not specify a minimum distance, even worse it's says to leave as much room as you would leave a car which is no good because these arseholes would also gladly leave another vehicle just a couple of inches.

There need to be automatic sanctions set out, punishment passes should be an automatic revocation of the license.

Attitude of the whole justice system needs to change, when a cyclist dies there is no automatic high quality investigation, the police do not take cyclist deaths and injuries seriously enough.

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OldRidgeback | 9 years ago
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Simon - leave the hammer at home. You are likely to get sued if you use it.

Cycling in the UK isn't that bad.

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a.jumper | 9 years ago
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Why does road.cc always mention British Cycling and CTC but bury Cyclenation in the body text? Equal coverage for the commuting/transport cycling federation, please!

We need space4cycling and it is possible but as others say, we need www.roadJustice.org too

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Leviathan | 9 years ago
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Seeing as it took Alex Salmond two days to call out the other parties on 'not delivering on devolution promises' I think the timetable will be quite full for a while. Don't expect to hear much about cycling until the 2017 post Olympic navel gazing.

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kie7077 | 9 years ago
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Some changes wouldn't cost a penny.

Distance passing laws. Automatic revocation of the license for using a phone in the vehicle. No let-offs when the police catch people doing dangerous stuff, they shouldn't let them go half the time without any sanction - I've heard of people being let go for speeding in residential areas and even drink driving!

Remove the extreme hardship rule, there are now nearly as many people driving with 12+ points as there are people who have had their licenses removed after reaching 12+ points.

Careless and dangerous driving should result in automatic license removal, driving is not a right it is a privilege and a very environmentally destructive one at that.

The politicians are passing laws every day, if they are serious about dealing with obesity, reducing CO2 emission and increasing cycling then these are some easy measures that don't cost billions.

And train all police to deal with traffic offences, AFAIK only specific traffic police can deal with traffic offences... except those by cyclists  14

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ChairRDRF | 9 years ago
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I wrote this last year about Labour's commitment (or lack of commitment?) to cycling: http://rdrf.org.uk/2013/10/04/how-pro-cycling-is-labour/#more-1106

Has anything changed since then?

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Airzound | 9 years ago
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This is all hot air. There is little comfort when you're riding along minding your own business when some moron decides to shave the skin off your knuckles by close passing you or drives at you or tries to assault you when you take exception to their attempts to kill you. You report to the plod and they do fuck all or the driver gets a slap on the wrists. How many of these wind bags actually ride every day in all weathers? Well from my commute very few next to zero I would say. Britain is a shit place to ride a bicycle. The hot air will of course continue. Those cyclists who do ride regularly are at a much greater risk of being knocked down and killed or seriously injured simply as the more you do something the greater the chance of you being killed.

The only way to achieve a safer cycling experience in this country is for drivers who kill or seriously injure cyclists and pedestrians, to be automatically be sent to prison for a long time i.e. at least 10 years plus and their driving licenses to be permanently revoked i.e. banned for life. Assets should also be seized and sold to pay for the damage and injuries they have caused for the lives they have wrecked. Aggravating factors should mean they get much longer sentences.

Why not use the £10 per head that Boardman wants for cycling expenditure to actually go toward better enforcement of traffic laws, for prosecutions of drivers who knock down, injure and kill cyclists, to build more prison places for these drivers, who lie through their teeth to try and get off? Surely this would send a much more powerful message to the driving population that the Government is SERIOUS about promoting cycling and protecting cyclists in this country? No more SMIDSYs. And in civil cases bring in a presumption that the car or vehicle is liable unless they can show other wise. Why not bring it into criminal law as well for that matter, the driver did drive carelessly, recklessly or dangerously unless they can show other wise?

In the mean time more cyclists tool up before riding on the roads with ever more head cams in case they are knocked down only for the cops to do fuck all or say well it's only a cyclist …………..

Ultimately we need a Dutch style of cycling infrastructure here in the UK but we all know this is NEVER going to happen. This is just cloud cuckoo land wishful thinking. The car manufacturers are too strong, too powerful and the Government of all flavours is too reliant on the car industry and drivers for the revenue it brings in taxation to the Treasury. Now if cycling or cyclists could be taxed to the same extent, then maybe, maybe the Government would seriously consider promoting cycling properly. At the moment it is just words, words, words and no action. Cycling and cyclists are viewed as an irration an inconvenience. Nice that Sir Bradley, Chris Hoy, VP won all those gold medals and Wiggins and Froome the TdF but that's as far as it goes. God I hate Cameron's podgy public school face and his charade pretending to be a cyclist with the Jag following behind him and his vacuous claims to want a cycling revolution. There might well be, but not the type of revolution he anticipates.

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Simon E replied to Airzound | 9 years ago
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Airzound, I'm sadly in agreement with you on much of your analysis.

I have acknowledged to friends that drivers are on the whole nicer now but sadly the inconsiderate, the aggressive and "getouttamyway" drivers are still too numerous. I am sick and tired of being cut up, abused and treated like a road cone to skim past by drivers who are, frankly, at real risk of killing someone. I just pray it won't be me or anyone I know.

More than half of the public still feel their local roads are too dangerous for cycling. But we know that it's not the roads, it's the selfish, inconsiderate way many people drive.

Airzound wrote:

The car manufacturers are too strong, too powerful and the Government of all flavours is too reliant on the car industry and drivers for the revenue it brings in taxation to the Treasury.

Also, many drivers are too wedded to their cars for even the shortest journeys. While the car is the primary method of getting around, even for sub-1km journeys, then people will not want to give it up. Like a large number of the people in the streets near me who consider a car appropriate for the tiny journeys to school or the local convenience store (both of which take as long as walking because in both cases the footpath is shorter). But their votes matter while ours don't.

However, all that the cycling bodies' representative can do is put the facts out there, make their case and hope that the drip, drip, drip will eventually make a difference. Meanwhile I'm considering whether to strap a hammer to my rucksack - perhaps it will make some idiot think twice...

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oozaveared replied to Simon E | 9 years ago
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Simon E wrote:

Airzound, I'm sadly in agreement with you on much of your analysis.

I have acknowledged to friends that drivers are on the whole nicer now but sadly the inconsiderate, the aggressive and "getouttamyway" drivers are still too numerous. I am sick and tired of being cut up, abused and treated like a road cone to skim past by drivers who are, frankly, at real risk of killing someone. I just pray it won't be me or anyone I know.

More than half of the public still feel their local roads are too dangerous for cycling. But we know that it's not the roads, it's the selfish, inconsiderate way many people drive..

and you just said they were right to feel like that. Yes there are inconsiderate drivers but cycling is safe and it really isn't that bad.

and actually cyclists just cycling don't seem to get very many issues at all. I've been cycling properly (in a club) since 1973. I hear most complaints from cyclists that are on the whole cycling "in a hurry". There's a guy I work with that uses Strava on his commute f'ing and blinding about having to slow down for traffic. So he's not exactly in a position to moan at car drivers that are in too much of a hurry is he? There's quite a bit of that about as well.

Avatar
a.jumper replied to Simon E | 9 years ago
0 likes
Simon E wrote:

More than half of the public still feel their local roads are too dangerous for cycling. But we know that it's not the roads, it's the selfish, inconsiderate way many people drive.

Sometimes it's the roads too: http://beyondthekerb.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/cut-the-crap/

Avatar
oozaveared replied to Airzound | 9 years ago
0 likes
Airzound wrote:

This is all hot air. There is little comfort when you're riding along minding your own business when some moron decides to shave the skin off your knuckles by close passing you or drives at you or tries to assault you when you take exception to their attempts to kill you. You report to the plod and they do fuck all or the driver gets a slap on the wrists. How many of these wind bags actually ride every day in all weathers? Well from my commute very few next to zero I would say. Britain is a shit place to ride a bicycle. The hot air will of course continue. Those cyclists who do ride regularly are at a much greater risk of being knocked down and killed or seriously injured simply as the more you do something the greater the chance of you being killed.

The only way to achieve a safer cycling experience in this country is for drivers who kill or seriously injure cyclists and pedestrians, to be automatically be sent to prison for a long time i.e. at least 10 years plus and their driving licenses to be permanently revoked i.e. banned for life. Assets should also be seized and sold to pay for the damage and injuries they have caused for the lives they have wrecked. Aggravating factors should mean they get much longer sentences.

Why not use the £10 per head that Boardman wants for cycling expenditure to actually go toward better enforcement of traffic laws, for prosecutions of drivers who knock down, injure and kill cyclists, to build more prison places for these drivers, who lie through their teeth to try and get off? Surely this would send a much more powerful message to the driving population that the Government is SERIOUS about promoting cycling and protecting cyclists in this country? No more SMIDSYs. And in civil cases bring in a presumption that the car or vehicle is liable unless they can show other wise. Why not bring it into criminal law as well for that matter, the driver did drive carelessly, recklessly or dangerously unless they can show other wise?

In the mean time more cyclists tool up before riding on the roads with ever more head cams in case they are knocked down only for the cops to do fuck all or say well it's only a cyclist …………..

Ultimately we need a Dutch style of cycling infrastructure here in the UK but we all know this is NEVER going to happen. This is just cloud cuckoo land wishful thinking. The car manufacturers are too strong, too powerful and the Government of all flavours is too reliant on the car industry and drivers for the revenue it brings in taxation to the Treasury. Now if cycling or cyclists could be taxed to the same extent, then maybe, maybe the Government would seriously consider promoting cycling properly. At the moment it is just words, words, words and no action. Cycling and cyclists are viewed as an irration an inconvenience. Nice that Sir Bradley, Chris Hoy, VP won all those gold medals and Wiggins and Froome the TdF but that's as far as it goes. God I hate Cameron's podgy public school face and his charade pretending to be a cyclist with the Jag following behind him and his vacuous claims to want a cycling revolution. There might well be, but not the type of revolution he anticipates.

Well you won't get Dutch style cycling infrastructure by ranting on like that. If you want the infrastructure you'll need to convince people, not just cyclists, not just the politicians you like, but lots of people like Tory politicians and car drivers that it's a good idea, for Dutch style infrastructure you'll need a big cross party consensus and societal consensus over decades.

Yes it's easier to call people names and make out that anyone that drives a car is evil, calling people podgy. Hilarious fun. But juvenile.

Your approach seems to be "give me what I want you fat lazy evil wankers!"

I'm not a betting man but something tells me that going to be less than effective.

As it happens I know something of the vehicle following Cameron and he probably had to argue quite a lot to be allowed not to have to ride in it. That's the armoured vehicle with his protection officers in it all probably wishing he was a good lad and just got in the car so they could relax. You think the PM can just decide to go cycling round London on his own and that the DPS just say OK then? That the PM wants to make a visual statement that cycling is good and he endorses it is to be applauded. Just taking the piss and abusing him because the DPS officers have to follow him is juvenile. It's like you only want cycling to be a little club set against the world. Are you sure you want that mass participation Dutch style stuff you know where cycling is done by all kinds of people?

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