Cyclists to take priority over cars after lockdown

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has set out that cyclists will take priority over cars after lockdown.

Shapps told the Transport Select Committee “we saw an extraordinary 100 per cent increase in the number of people cycling during the week at the height of the lockdown and a 200 per cent increase at the weekend”.

He went on to say “we want to make sure we are prioritising how local authorities think about road space”. The ambition is to build road space around pedestrians and cyclists, rather than building it around cars.

The Transport Secretary hopes that the increase in bike usage will continue after lockdown. There are various schemes in place to maintain the current level of cyclists such as the £25m Bike Repair Scheme. The Bike Repair Scheme will issue £50 bike repair vouchers so people can get their old bikes road worthy again. It is due to issue the first voucher by the end of June, find out more about the scheme here.