Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to extend cycling’s popularity to groups that are currently under-represented.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government’s plans to promote cycling and walking are set out in the statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, published in April 2017. The Strategy’s ambition is to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys, or as part of a longer journey. The Strategy includes a commitment to monitor the uptake of cycling by age, gender, ethnicity and mobility.
The Department recognises that the take-up of cycling is lower among some groups than others, as shown by the 2017 walking and cycling statistics for England, published in a fact sheet on 30 August 2018. For some under-represented groups, concerns about safety are a major barrier to taking up cycling. The Department announced on 18 October that it will be reviewing those elements of the Highway Code that relate to cycling and walking. It will also publish later this year its full response to the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy safety review, which will include further measures to make cycling safer and hence more attractive to those who are not regular cyclists.
The Department has also provided funding for initiatives including Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival campaign which has helped to promote cycling among under-represented groups, and to make it a safe, easy and affordable travel option for all.