Dawn of new golden age for cycling or just another empty promise? | Sean Ingle
10 May 2020 05:30
Exercising is a better way to help the NHS than clapping once a week and more needs to be done to enact real changeFifteen years ago I was waiting by a red light when a dishevelled-looking cyclist, blond mop-top untamed by comb or helmet, pootled past without pausing. A couple of minutes later, the same thing happened again. Yes, it was Boris Johnson. And yes, he had form for this sort of thing – at one point he was filmed jumping through six red lights and a pedestrian crossing during one ride. But, to give Johnson his due, his tenure as the mayor of London did lead to some of the capital’s more dangerous roads and junctions becoming safer for cyclists – although a lot more still needs to be done.First the capital, then the country? Over the weekend the transport secretary, Grant Schapps, pledged £2bn towards plans to double the number of cyclists and walkers by 2025 while also telling local authorities to make “significant changes” to give them more space. There were even hints of changes to the law so that motor vehicles would be automatically at fault if they hit a cyclist unless they can prove otherwise. Related: Back to work: 'capacity of transport network will be down by 90%' Continue readingread full article
