Over recent days, many media stories have echoed MAG’s concerns regarding the emphasis on the construction of segregated cycle lanes. In a Daily Mail article by Tom Rawstorne (entitled ‘Cycle lanes lunacy! More and more are being built across Britain, causing gridlock and pollution. But the maddest thing of all? They’re often EMPTY’), he highlights the issues relating to the cycle lane agenda.
‘The trouble is that it is only now, with many of the changes finally being implemented, that other road users are starting to fully feel their impact’ writes Mr Rawstorne. ‘Gridlocked streets bordered by cycle lanes that seem virtually empty outside the rush-hour. Partly as a result, the capital is said to be the world’s most congested city, with the average driver spending 101 hours in traffic last year, according to transport experts INRIX.’ Rawstorne adds that ‘traffic delays are up, while average vehicle speeds in Central London have fallen to 7.4mph — slower than a horse-drawn carriage in the 18th century.’
‘We’ve been raising these issues for years because we saw this crisis coming,’ confirms MAG’s Chair, Selina Lavender. ‘The massive increase in cycle lanes is not based on any objective calculation of danger. The already limited London road space has been squeezed further by
dedicating swathes of it to cycle lanes which are under-used. Cycle lanes that have been built with huge amounts of taxpayers money for the benefit of a very few. Even many cyclists, it seems, never wanted them.’
MAG believes the negative reaction to cycle lanes is set to increase. ‘We’re working with authorities to bring some common sense to the debate. The current approach is based on fashion, not logic or any sense of proportionality regarding bikers and other road users who are suffering gridlock for the sake of the cycling agenda. That’s bad business, bad environment policy and a terrible way to treat the 97%+ road users who aren’t cyclists.’
