'Once in a lifetime opportunity': PM unveils plan for cycling and walking 'revolution'

Thousands of miles of new protected bike lanes, cycle training for both children and adults, and a national e-bike programme are among plans unveiled by the Prime Minister today to help steer a £2bn cycling and walking "revolution" across England.

Councils and metro mayors are also set to be given stronger powers to close side streets to cars and restrict traffic around schools, backed by funding for 12 new 'Mini Holland' cycle-friendly areas and the creation of "at least one zero emission transport city centre", according to the new Cycling and Walking Plan for England.

A new walking and cycling watchdog - dubbed Active Travel England - is also being established to oversee the budget for infrastructure and ensure cycle lanes are up to scratch, the government said.

Moreover, cycling could even soon be prescribed by the NHS under today's plans, which also include pilots in areas with poor health rates to encourage GPs to offer patients access to bikes through their local surgery to help tackle the causes of mental and physical health problems.

A keen cyclist himself during his time as the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said the plans aimed to build on the significant increase in the number of people cycling during lockdown by setting out a long-term vision to increase active travel, cut emissions and air pollution, and boost physical and mental health.

"From helping people get fit and healthy and lowering their risk of illness, to improving air quality and cutting congestion, cycling and walking have a huge role to play in tackling some of the biggest health and environmental challenges that we face," he said. "But to build a healthier, more active nation, we need the right infrastructure, training and support in place to give people the confidence to travel on two wheels. That's why now is the time to shift gears and press ahead with our biggest and boldest plans yet to boost active travel - so that everyone can feel the transformative benefits of cycling."

To mark the launch of the policy package, the first batch of bike repair vouchers worth £50 each are also set for release today in a pilot scheme to encourage people to get back cycling. As many as 50,000 vouchers are to be made available just before midnight this evening on a first-come-first-served basis to those registering online, the Department for Transport (DfT) explained, adding that if successful the scheme could be rolled out more widely.

Other measures announced include free cycle training from local authorities and schools, a new national e-bike programme to assist people less able to take up traditional cycling, and plans to strengthen the Highway Code to better protect pedestrians and cyclists.

And, as well as promising to build thousands of miles of protected cycle routes in English towns and cities, the government has also today published new guidance for cycling infrastructure, aimed at favouring schemes which make "meaningful change to the status quo of the road", rather than just marker paint.

Active Travel England would oversee these new standards, while also overseeing the cycling budget, helping to ensure a long-term pipeline of funding for cycling infrastructure, DfT said.

The flurry of measures announced today, which are to be funded as part of the £2bn earmarked for walking and cycling first announced in the Budget earlier this year, come as the DfT draws up its hotly-anticipated Transport Decarbonisation Plan set for release in the coming months.

In March the DfT signalled the thrust of the forthcoming strategy would offer a radical reshaping of UK transport policy with a strong onus on making public transport, walking and cycling "the natural first choice for our daily activities" with less reliance on private cars.

Commenting on today's announcement, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps hailed a "one in a lifetime opportunity to create a shift in attitudes for generations to come, and get more people choosing to cycle or walk as part of their daily routine".

The plans are likely to be welcomed by green groups and active travel campaigners, although details remain to be seen on how much funding is on offer for each measure.

However, the announcement has already ruffled the feathers of car lobby group FairFuelUK, which said the plans would make towns and cities "no go zones for the internal combustion engine" as it pledged to "fight this strategy tooth and nail".

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• Topics
• Transport
• Policy
• Department for Transport
• Boris Johnson
• Cycling
• Active travel