Protesters took to the streets outside HM Treasury in London on Saturday to demand an increase in the level of Government spending on cycling and walking infrastructure.

 

Around 400 people gathered at the demonstration organised by campaign group Stop Killing Cyclists and staged a so called ‘die in’. The event saw attendees lying in the street to represent vulnerable road users killed in collisions as well as those whwo have died from diseases associated with pollution and inactivity.

 

This comes following the deaths of three cyclists on London’s roads last week. Top of the protesters’ list of demands was a call for 10% of the Department for Transport’s budget to be allocated to developing safer cycling and walking infrastructure by 2020. 

 

“The Government has been underinvesting in sustainable transport and that has got to change,” Stop Killing Cyclists spokesman Alex Raha told TP Weekly News. “Deaths like the ones we have seen in the last week are preventable but they continue to happen because cycling and walking are not getting their fair share of investment.”

 

He suggested that roll out of more high quality, segregated cycle lanes in cities would help improve safety for those on two wheels and promote increased take up of the mode.

 

Another spokesman for the campaign group Caspar Hughes added: “Road danger means most people do not feel safe cycling on UK roads, which means they lack life saving physical exercise.” Meanwhile, he said: “Air pollution is poisoning millions of people in the UK and traffic carbon emissions are contributing to the climate emergency.”

 

Among the group’s other demands were that all diesel powered vehicles should be banned from city centres within five years and that a programme of regular ‘car free days’ should be introduced in England’s major cities, following the lead of Paris.

 

London Cycling Campaign infrastructure campaigner Simon Munk was in attendance at the demonstration and commented: “We are currently seeing high levels of investment in cycling in London but the rest of the country is lagging way behind. Evidence shows that spending on cycling has a wide range of benefits, now we need to get on and deliver it.” 

 

Also commenting on the protest cycle charity Sustrans’ policy director Jason Torrance said: “Governments at all levels need to increase investment in cycling and walking to achieve the UK Government's laudable ambition for England to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys.

 

“The Government is soon to produce the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy – that needs to show clear links between ambitions and investment decisions.” 

 

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “Britain has some of the safest roads in the world but we are committed to reducing the number of cyclists killed and seriously injured.

 

“On top of a THINK! campaign to improve cycle safety we are spending £300M on cycling funding in this Parliament and are also providing over £7Bn to improve the condition of our road surfaces to make them safer for all road users.”

 

(Photo: 20’s plenty for us)