UK national cyclists' organisation CTC are urging people to put their prospective parliamentary candidates on the spot and find out what they think about cycling ahead of this year's general election.
A standard letter is available through the Vote Bike pages on the CTC website, along with a list of many of the politicans it can be emailed to.
The letter invites candidates to support the Vote Bike Manifesto – which calls for all political parties to commit to doubling cycle use within 10 years – and publish their views on it.
The manifesto covers areas such as: cycle-friendly planning and design; improved safety through training, awareness and lower speed limits; better integration of cycling with public transport; encouragement of cycling, including incentives; and growth of both recreational and off-road cycling.
CTC campaigns and policy director Roger Geffen said: “Vote Bike is a quick and easy way to campaign for cycling. It will encourage the new government to put cycling closer to the heart of their policies on health, transport and communities. It will also provide cyclists with information about what their local candidates think about cycling and will help CTC lobby even more effectively for cycling to be mainstream.”
The campaign follows the launch of the current Labour government's Active Travel Strategy, which the CTC dismissed as "warm words". "We need more than a homily to the humble bike," they said. "We need an action plan with pound signs attached.”
In Parliament, an Early Day Motion (1009) sponsored by Gwyn Prosser, MP for Dover, supporting the Vote Bike Manifesto has so far been signed by 34 MPs. Although few EDMs actually get to be debated in the House of Commons, they do serve to demonstrate the level of support among MPs for a particular topic. An EDM (1431) in May last year from Mr Prosser calling for more and safer cycling attracted more than 200 signatures.