The latest National Travel Attitudes Study also reveals that 61% of people in England do not have access to a bicycle. Of those who do own a bike, four in 10 said they had not cycled in the past year.

These statistics follow the opening of the UK’s first so called ‘Dutch style’ roundabout in Cambridge, designed with an outer ring for cyclists to give those on two wheels – and pedestrians – priority over oncoming vehicles at four zebra crossings.

Sustainable transport charity Sustrans’ head of public affairs Rachel White said of the new statistics: “We know that people want to walk and cycle more, yet safety concerns remain the main barrier. Making it easier for people to walk and cycle and to leave the car at home will cut pollution, tackle the causes of poor health and improve the safety of our streets.”

She added: “As public transport capacity remains limited by the pandemic, more people travelling actively where they can means there's more space on public transport and roads for those who need it.”

Cambridge’s new roundabout was designed due to a perception that the old roundabout was too dangerous to cycle around. Dutch consultancies Royal HaskoningDHV and Mobycon provided input to the project.

But shortly before the roundabout at Fendon Road near Addenbrooke’s hospital was opened, a car collided with a Belisha beacon which has led to overnight closures to assess damage and carry out repairs.

Despite the setback a Cambridgeshire County Council spokesman said that if the Dutch style roundabout reduces accidents and their severity, it will look to build more of them in the city.

The authority’s highways and transport committee chairman Ian Bates said at the opening: “I am delighted to see the completion of improvements to this roundabout, which aim to improve safety at this busy junction and encourage more people to walk and cycle.”

Completion of the roundabout was welcomed by the Cambridge Cycling Campaign, which described it as “a joy to ride around”. But it also warned users to “be aware that it may take a while for everyone to get used to the new design” and urged cyclists to make eye contact with drivers to ensure they have seen them.

Executive director Roxanne De Beaux was one of the first people to cycle around the roundabout. “I’m absolutely delighted with the new roundabout, it feels like a small piece of Dutch cycling heaven. I feel very safe with this layout, the geometry made it easy to see the cars leaving and approaching the roundabout and the people driving were all giving way to the people cycling and walking.”

To view a video explaining how the roundabout works, click here.

Elsewhere, yesterday saw Transport for West Midlands unveil a 500 mile cycling vision for the region, known as the Starley Network – named in honour of industrialists in Coventry who manufactured bicycles over 130 years ago. All routes on the network are set to be segregated from motor traffic.

* In other cycling news, the Canal & River Trust yesterday put forward 30 towpath improvement schemes to Government in inner city and urban areas to improve access for those in the saddle or on foot. They include schemes in Burnley, Wigan, Sheffield, Bradford, Birmingham, Leicester and London.

(Image: Cambridgeshire County Council)