Parliament will debate 18 recommendations that could make cycling safer and more popular for millions of people in Britain. The suggestions contained in April’s Get Britain Cycling report will be discussed in the next few weeks, according to Julian Huppert, MP and co-chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group.
The debate has been called for by cycling lobby groups such as Sustrans, the CTC and British Cycling, and is seen as a chance to keep pressure on the government.
News that the Backbench Business Committee will support Huppert’s call for a discussion supersedes a public petition set up in April demanding a parliamentary debate. About 68,000 people have signed the petition, which needed 100,000 signatures to trigger conversations.
Huppert told The Times that he hopes MPs will turn out in large numbers to debate the report’s recommendations.
Sustrans policy director Jason Torrance said, “It is fantastic see the recommendations of the Get Britain Cycling report being debated in parliament, but it is important that this results in clear outcomes, not just rhetoric.”
A principal aim of the inquiry is to increase the total number of journeys made by bike from the current two percent to 10 percent by 2025. Recommendations include increasing spending on cycling projects from £2 to £10 per person per year, and the appointment of a so-called 'Cycling Czar' to ensure the activities are incorporated into policies in all governmental departments.