(1 day, 6 hours ago)
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Lord Krebs
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of which safety measures for cyclists are the most (1) effective, and (2) cost-effective, for reducing (a) accidents, and (b) injuries.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill) (Lab)
My Lords, well-designed infrastructure, particularly of the kind that provides protection from motor traffic, can improve both safety and perceptions of safety for cyclists. In addition to our £626 million investment in active travel infrastructure that we announced last year, we have now also published our road safety strategy. This sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads, including cyclists, by 65% by 2035.
Lord Krebs (CB)
I thank the Minister for his Answer. The Government have said that they want cycling to be a safe, healthy, green and accessible option for everyone. However, 4,000 cyclists were killed or seriously injured on our roads in 2024. Cycling is nearly 10 times as dangerous as driving. Potholes and poor road surfaces are a major hazard, and a recent survey suggests that 88% of cyclists find these a danger and that 22% have been injured as a result. I cycle daily in Oxford, and the potholes are getting worse, not better. The extra funds allocated are not sufficient. Industry experts tell me that there are better ways of repairing potholes than slapping down a patch of cold asphalt that comes out after a few weeks. Are the Government encouraging councils to use the latest and best technology for repairing our roads?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
My department supports innovation in the local highways sector by creating conditions that enable the safe, evidence-led adoption of new products and approaches, while leaving decisions on individual technologies to local highway authorities. This includes providing record long-term funding for highways maintenance, with a proportion of funding linked to the demonstration of best practice, including the adoption of innovative techniques. The Government require each local authority to publish annual transparency reports to help local people understand what action is being taken to improve their roads. Oxfordshire County Council is no exception: its recent report highlights that it works closely with its supply chain to trial new materials in highways maintenance, including graphene asphalt, which it claims has been successfully used to enhance the durability of road surfaces.
Viscount Hailsham (Con)
My Lords, I am a regular cyclist. I suggest that the wearing of helmets and high-vis jackets and, in urban areas, the provision of cycle-only tracks is the most effective way of reducing injuries.
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The noble Viscount is certainly right that the segregation of cyclists, where it can occur, is a good thing. The Government recommend the use of helmets and high-visibility clothing. He is absolutely right to emphasise those things, but I think the noble Lord, Lord Krebs, was asking particularly about road surfacing, which is important. The Government take it as important to improve the surfaces of roads for both cycling and driving.
Baroness Pidgeon (LD)
My Lords, countries such as the Netherlands continue to lead the way in quality transport infrastructure. Around 72% of secondary school children walk or cycle to school there, whereas in the UK that figure is only 38%. What will the Government do to make it easier and safer for children to walk and cycle to school?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The £626 million investment over four years in active travel infrastructure is designed to do precisely that. The noble Baroness is completely right; we want people to walk and cycle, and we want kids to do that as a matter of habit. That is why the Government are investing so much money. Before Christmas, we consulted on the third cycling and walking strategy. I anticipate that that too will have something to say in the direction that she wants us to go in.
Lord Boateng (Lab)
My Lords, will the Minister please tell us what action the Government are going to take to make cyclists more aware of their responsibilities towards pedestrians? All too often, cyclists show a complete disregard for the Highway Code and the safety of pedestrians.
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
The behaviour of cyclists is a concern to pedestrians, vulnerable people and, indeed, motorists. The road safety strategy covers the full range of road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. It is important that everybody using our roads behaves in accordance with the Highway Code and the law but, as my noble friend will know, the enforcement of laws in relation to traffic, cycling and motoring is the business of chief police officers.
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, it is the turn of the Conservative Benches, if they can make their mind up.
Lord Holmes of Richmond (Con)
My Lords, the safety of cyclists is critical, as is the safety of all road users. To that end, will the Minister consider reviewing the recently published guidance on so-called floating bus stops, which does not deliver safety for cyclists, pedestrians or, indeed, anyone? It fails on being inclusive by design, on safety and on inclusion for all members of society. To put it another way, as a blind person put it to me: “How can I get a job when, as a consequence of these discriminatory changes, I can’t even get a bus?”
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
I have great respect for the noble Lord’s views on this. He will know that, as the debate on the then Bus Services Bill went on, my ministerial colleague took decisive action to stop one particular design and review the standards. That is what we have to do, because there is not unlimited space on roads and pavements. We have to find a safe way for people to board buses, for disabled people to be able to navigate pavements, and for cyclists to cycle. We are doing our best at that. The noble Lord will know that we have put a lot of effort into floating bus stops, and that has not finished yet.
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (GP)
My Lords, does the Minister have any idea how to combat the negative view of cyclists from so many people here in your Lordships’ Chamber? Could we have some sort of educational programme to help them understand?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
Self-education is not a bad thing sometimes. I know that the Mayor of London is making strong attempts to improve the behaviour of cyclists. It is a concern that people feel able to cycle through red lights and across zebra crossings when people are on them. It is dangerous not only for pedestrians, disabled people and other road users but for cyclists themselves. I am very pleased to see that the Mayor of London is running that campaign and I hope that other local highway authorities do so as well.
Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)
My Lords, is the Minister aware that some real problems can be caused by Lime bikes and rental bikes? If a cyclist causes an accident or injury and the person using the bike is underage or the bike is stolen, there is no insurance cover and the companies refuse to take responsibility for the accident. Will the Minister look at what can be done to rectify this matter? It has caused some real problems, particularly here in the capital, and these companies need to take responsibility.
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
There certainly is an issue with illegal or underage use of hire bikes. I take what my noble friend says with great seriousness. We are considering what else to do about this matter.
Lord Moylan (Con)
My Lords, coming back to the perennial topic of floating bus stops, when we debated the Bus Services Bill, the Government gave an undertaking through an amendment that they would review the design of those bus stops. That new design has now been published. Is the Minister not the slightest bit embarrassed that the new design looks almost exactly the same as the old one?
Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)
No. The reason for that is that a bus stop looks like a bus stop, as the noble Lord will know, and it is pretty hard to make it not look like a bus stop. The serious point at issue is that some detailed design features need to be carefully considered. I take what the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, says with great seriousness because he makes the point passionately and from experience. I believe that the department has done better and I think it will evolve. I also believe that we have done what we said we would do. I am not in the least bit embarrassed about improving something a bit because that is all you are likely to do at one time.