Transport Minister Theresa Villiers breaks collarbone in fall from bike

Transport Minister Theresa Villiers, who regularly commutes by bike from her Chipping Barnet constituency to the Houses of Parliament, has suffered that unfortunately all-too-common injury that many cyclists encounter at some point, breaking her collarbone after coming off her bike earlier this week.

The Guardian reports that no other vehicles were involved in the incident, with a spokesman for the Department for Tansport (DfT) saying: “Theresa Villiers was involved in a road accident while cycling to work. She has a broken collarbone and other minor injuries. Theresa will be back at work soon and will be cycling again as soon as she is fully recovered."

In opposition, Villiers acted as Shadow Minister for Transport and there was some dismay in cycling circles when she was passed over for the job of Secretary State for Transport when the Coalition Government was formed in June 2010, that job going to the decidedly less cycling-friendly Philip Hammond.

Hammond has since moved to the position of Secretary for State for Defence, his job at the DfT going to Justine Greening, who at least is a cyclist and has supported bike-friendly initiatives in the past in her Putney constituency.

Speaking last November at the National Cycle Rail Awards at the Palace of Wesminster, Villiers echoed what are surely the feelings of many bike commuters who live at the top of a hill – the journey to work may be a relative breeze, but the one home is a bit of a slog.