On Thursday 23 February the House of Commons will debate cycle safety for the first time since 1996.
The London Cycling Campaign is urging all cyclists send a message to their MPs to tell them how important this is – especially given, as they say, "there's a strong chance your Member of Parliament won't even turn up."
LCC has also publicised a protest ride in Westminster today (22 February) in support of safer cycling and the Love London, Go Dutch vision for our streets.
Despite LCC’s lobbying, the recent Times newspaper campaign, and pressure from other cycling groups such as Sustrans, at the time of writing only 67 MPs out of 650 had signed Early Day Motion 2689.
The Early Day motion states:
That this House believes that cycling is an extremely efficient form of transport which is good for health and the environment; supports successive governments' commitment to encourage the use of bikes and reduce the number of cyclist-related accidents; notes with concern that the number of cyclists killed on Britain's roads rose by 7 per cent. between 2009 and 2010; further notes that a disproportionate number of cycling accidents involve vans and lorries; supports The Times' Cities Fit for Cycling campaign; and calls on the Government to take further action to improve cycling infrastructure and reduce the number of casualties on roads.
Out of the 67 who have signed some 35 are labour members, 18 liberal and 8 conservative with 6 others. This is despite the fact David Cameron himself is a high profile cyclist. The conservative party has 305 seats in the house, some 47%.
You can see if your MP has signed up here.
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