Local authorities given £15m to make cycling safer

Date: 27/6/2012

Local authorities outside of London, but across the UK, have been granted £15 million in order to make junctions safer for cyclists.

Transport Minister, Norman Baker and Road Safety Minister, Mike Penning made the announcement, which will affect around 400 local authorities.

Mr Baker said: "I am delighted to be able to provide today a further £15 million to improve cycle safety, by enabling local authorities to tackle proven dangerous junctions.

"This investment – alongside a number of other initiatives we have progressed – will make our roads a safer place for everyone using them."

London is unable to apply for a share of the fund as it has already been granted money for the issue of cyclists at junctions to be tackled in the capital.

According to the Department for Transport, local authorities will be expected to submit a bid in order to be given cash from the fund.

If all of the local authorities were successful it would amount to around £37,500 each and they would be expected to add finances of their own in order to carry out the improvements.

The sum has come in for a certain amount of criticism from organisations such as cycling charity Sustrans.

This is because the amount is diminutive when compared to that spent on other types of road safety schemes every year.

Malcolm Shepherd, Chief Executive of Sustrans, claimed that a bigger proportion of the Highways Agency's annual budget should be allocated to the scheme.

He said: "Safety is the biggest concern for both cyclists and would-be cyclists so it’s about time the Government stepped in to make it safer to get around on two wheels."

The Department is presenting the details of the scheme to its Cycling Forum, members of which include the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety and Sustrans.

Mr Baker said: "Cycling is a fantastic way of getting fit, reducing congestion and improving the environment, and cyclist safety matters hugely."

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Posted by Sarah Bailey.