Cycling needs big increase in funding say MPs

They call for the amount spent by the Government on cycling to rise from £2 per head to £10 by 2020.

Their report comes just a fortnight after Yorkshire hosted the start of the Tour de France which councils in the region hope will have a significant legacy in terms of the number of people taking up cycling.

Louise Ellman, chairman of the Transport Select Committee which produced the report, said: “Last year 109 cyclists were killed on our roads, and over 3,000 seriously injured. Cyclists have told us the dangers they face every day from a lack of cycling infrastructure, poorly-designed junctions and aggressive driving.

“Investing in cycling will make the roads safer for all users, and encourage more people to cycle and walk.”

The report calls for a “culture change” across Government to support cycling and for a reduction the number of bike accidents involving heavy goods vehicles.

In West Yorkshire, construction of a new £21 million cycling ‘superhighway’ from Leeds to Bradford could start as early as the autumn.

Coun James Lewis, chairman of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee, added: “The cycle superhighway is a big step foward building on work like the go:cycling project to encourage more people to cycle more often.”