Liberal Democrat commitment to reversing cycling cuts “good start, but must be bolder”
Cycling UK welcomes the Liberal Democrats’ commitment to reverse recent cuts to cycling and walking, but calls on the party to be bolder in its ambitions.
The charity made its call as a motion supporting reversing government cuts to cycling and walking in England at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth passed during this morning’s debate on transport.
Ministers cut the dedicated budget for cycling and walking by 75% in March 2023, despite the National Audit Committee finding funding levels would not be enough to meet the government’s modest targets to double cycling by 2025. Currently fewer than 2% of journeys are cycled in England.
Sarah McMonagle, Cycling UK’s director of external affairs, said:
“The Liberal Democrats recognise the damage done by cutting funding for cycling and walking and have pledged to reverse these, which is a good start – but in their next manifesto, they must be bolder if they are to reap all of the many environmental, health and wellbeing benefits that come from more people cycling.
“Getting more people out cycling and walking is a worthy ambition, but restoring a level underinvestment this government previously had in place will not achieve it.”
Notes to editors
- Cycling UK, the UK’s cycling charity, imagines a world where the streets are free of congestion and the air is clean to breathe, where parents encourage their children to cycle to school and everyone shares the exhilaration of being in the saddle. For more than 140 years, we’ve been making our streets safer, opening up new traffic free routes and inspiring more people to cycle more often. www.cyclinguk.org
Press contact information
For more information, please contact the national Cycling UK press office www.cyclinguk.org/contact/press-and-media.
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