Largely, the problem with cycling in the UK is one of infrastructure. Or, more to the point, lack thereof.
Who wants a "shared" staircase, when you can have a good mixture of transport options, like this:
Put simply, we've now tried running down public transport, denigrating cyclists and moving them to the margins whilst putting cars front and centre of transport options in most UK towns and cities. We've tried it for decades and it just hasn't worked out.
And don't even get me started on the appalling damage being done by the current vogue for SUVs. The 330m of these abhorrent "vehicles" globally are currently creating emissions equivalent to the whole of the UK and Germany.
So it was pleasing to see so many attend a protest ride in London on Sunday, calling for cycling to be made safer in the city, specifically for women.
More people need to stand up for their right to not only move about urban spaces free from the dominion of cars, but also to breathe cleaner air. The best way of achieving both aims, is to redesign our cities to structurally ease cars out of city centres completely, instead of leaving cyclists dangerously on the margins; cycle lanes often seem to be an afterthought by urban planners who are too keen to peremptorily check green boxes whilst they widen roads and reduce bus timetables with abandon.
I have been amazed by the reaction on Twitter and other social platforms to the conviction last week of a pedestrian for causing the death of a cyclist. Many have defended Auriol Grey's actions and seem to view cyclists as some kind of sub-human scourge on society. Approximately four pedestrians a year are killed by cyclists; but two cyclists are killed - and 84 seriously injured - per week, on our horrendously bike-unfriendly streets (according to official government statistics for the period 2016-2021).
Next time you are driving in traffic and moaning about a cyclist not sticking religiously to their designated strip of road - remember, there is a reason why they have to take care of themselves:
No one else is looking out for us it seems. Yet cycling might just be the technology that goes a long way to solving the entire climate crisis (or at least the transport bit, anyway).
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