Louise Ellman responds to Government's Cycling and Walking Delivery Plan
16 October 2014
Louise Ellman responds to publication of the Government's cycling and walking delivery plan.
Speaking in response to publication of the Government’s Cycling and Walking Delivery Plan, Louise Ellman MP, Chair of the Transport Committee said today:
"I welcome today’s Cycling and Walking Delivery Plan, which has endorsed several key recommendations made by the Transport Committee in its recent report on Cycling safety.
We called for strong political leadership to support safer roads and more support for cycling. The Government has accepted our call to increase funding for cycling to reach £10 per head per year by 2020 - a significant increase on current levels of spending*.
It is vital that this new funding is made both long-term and strategic: the cycling budget is currently fragmented across many different initiatives with no consistency or clarity over funding sources.
Today’s Cycling Plan offers a good starting point, but clear and sustained political support - alongside practical effort to deliver better cycling infrastructure - is essential to drive the cultural change required to support cycling across all parts of central and local government.
Only then will the roads be safer for cyclists."
* Current government spending on cyclist is estimated by British Cycling to stand at only £2 per person per year.