Cycling Minister pleaded with children not to cycle on “terrible” roads, pledges action – Cycle Industry News
Laura Laker 23 March, 2022
England’s new cycling Minister admits she has “pleaded” with her kids not to cycle on her local roads, decrying the state of some “terrible”, “so-called cycle infrastructure” – and says building safe cycling routes to enable disabled people, women and children to cycle more is a priority.
Trudy Harrison, who taught Bikeability as a school governor, and has a degree in sustainable communities, told an All Party Parliamentary Group for Walking and Cycling (APPCWG) meeting active travel will be key in decarbonising Britain, and cited the industry’s “significant” contribution to the economy, but she was bluntly honest about the challenges ahead, criticising cycling conditions in her home county, Cumbria, and expressing a particular desire to improve rural routes.
The MP for Copeland who took up the post in January, wants to work with landowners to develop new cycle routes, and says as well as infrastructure a “cultural change” is needed to get more people on bikes, and shift divisive language around drivers and cyclists.
(Editor’s note: Today the chancellor has again handed the motorist a 5p on the litre fuel duty cut with a reported £5 billion per year cost to the treasury. The five year walking and cycling budget – at a time of climate emergency – is just £2 billion.)
