Take a minute to Vote Bike!

By Sam Jones
Tuesday, 31 March 2015
CTC is calling on MP candidates to Vote Bike!
Today (Tuesday 31 March 2015), CTC wrote to over 2,500 prospective parliamentary candidates asking them publicly to register their personal views on cycling.

The candidates were asked in a letter from CTC President and Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow to indicate where they stand on five cycling themes: infrastructure, funding, ambition for growth, road safety and positive promotion. This was all made possible through CTC’s new online tool, available at www.votebike.org.uk, that encourages candidates to let the UK public know their positioning on cycling.

The website, as well as giving constituents a means to see where their candidates stand on cycling, will also allow them to write to their candidates and express how important a pro-cycling stance is to them. Vote Bike will run from 31 March until 07 May, after which date CTC intends to publish a list outlining the new MPs' stance on cycling.

The five questions asked to candidates were:

  • Ambition. Will you support measures to increase levels of cycling to 10% of trips by 2025 and 25% by 2050?                                         
  • Funding. Will you support an average government spend of at least £10 per person per year on cycling?
  • Design standards. Will you support action to create consistently high design standards for cycling in all highway and traffic schemes, new developments and planned road maintenance work?
  • Safety. Will you support measures to improve cycle safety by strengthening road traffic law and its enforcement and revising the Highway Code?
  • Positive promotion.  Will you support the positive promotion of cycling, including cycle skills training, for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities?

Each candidate’s response to these questions will be available, plus any comments that they wish to make. Through this tool, and wider public engagement, CTC is keen to make all candidates aware of the cyclist vote and the issues which are most important to them.

Around 40% of people of voting age in Great Britain have access to a bike. Every one of them has a vested interest in seeing conditions improve for cycling. Vote Bike gives them the means to quiz their future MPs and hear their thoughts on cycling.

Paul Tuohy, CTC Chief Executive

Paul Tuohy, CTC Chief Executive said:

“It’s not about trying to influence manifestos at this late stage, but candidates need to know this huge cycling vote exists.

“Under the past Parliament, cycling has enjoyed a great amount of support from the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group under Julian Huppert, Ian Austin and Sarah Wollaston. Looking forward, CTC also hopes Vote Bike will help the group identify future members to carry on their good work over the next five years.”

Make sure you take action at www.votebike.org.uk 

Vote Bike Funding for Cycling and Walking Road Justice Space for Cycling Elections