"Cyclists only make up a small proportion of road users so a policy which considers only their benefit isn't workable."There are a number of problems with that statement.Firstly, cyclists should be a much bigger proportion of road users. That's not impossible. I know one of the major bridges in Central London has more cyclists than private cars in the rush hour. Outer London is lagging way behind central London, and that needs to change.The other big issue is that getting people onto bikes doesn't just benefit the cyclists, it benefits everyone.They take up a lot less road space, so it keeps congestion down for deliveries, and for those who do need to use cars.They also reduce air pollution, which benefits everyone. Partly because they themselves don't emit NO2 etc, but also because they contribute to reducing congestion, which will reduce those emissions from cars, lorries, and buses.Air pollution causes about 40,000 premature deaths in the UK every year (maybe more this year as it has been linked to worse outcomes from Covid). The death toll from air pollution in recent years is far bigger than Covid, yet where is all the fuss about it? The government's previous inaction has been criminal.Long term, we have no alternative but to get people out of their cars. Around 50% of particulate emmissions are tyre and brake dust, which is roughly twice as much as exhaust emissions, so switching to electric cars won't miraculously fix all of our problems. Given that somewhere around two thirds of car journeys are under 5 miles, they could easily be cycled by the majority of people - especially in London where it is very flat.There are other things the government could do, like tax breaks for electric bikes. Once we are out of the EU, and not bound by their bureaucracy, we should also adopt the Canadian standard for electric bikes, which allows electric assistance up to 20 mph. That would make them far more attractive for replacing cars for commutes outside of London.They also need to look at the legal side of things, like liability for crashes, and think about adopting the rules in places on the continent. I would also create an offense of aggressive/intimidatory driving towards a cyclist. There are some drivers who deliberately cut up and block cyclists, and/or who beep their horns just because you use a road you are legally entitled to be on. That puts people off cycling, and needs to be addressed.
Al Webber ● 2322d