Campaigning

“Downgraded volunteer” cycling and walking commissioner role offering £10k a year doesn’t reflect the “scale and urgency” of “road safety emergency” in West Midlands, say campaigners

The position has been left abandoned for over 100 days after Adam Tranter stepped down, as concerns about the low-paid and voluntary nature of the role, first speculated by road.cc, turned out to be true

Is cycling and walking being shafted in the West Midlands? Mayor distances himself from “downgraded” voluntary road safety job ad that has since disappeared

Richard Parker denied involvement in the short-lived job posting, with one active travel campaigner saying that replacing a full-time Walking and Cycling Commissioner role with a voluntary one would be "devastating" for cycle route delivery in the region

Misleading reporting is damaging public perception of e-bikes says trade body

ACT concerned at growing misconception that all e-bikes are unsafe

“What is being built is not fit for purpose”: NHS workers join cyclists in slamming “last-minute changes” to roadworks plan which severs popular cycling route at busy roundabout, instead adding more lanes to encourage “more and faster” motor traffic

“Clearly no thought whatsoever has been given to people arriving by bike. How this got through the approval process is hard to understand,” the chair of Norwich Cycling Campaign said.

Cycling UK and British Cycling urge Labour to “significantly increase” active travel budget to 10% of transport spending

What will new government's first Budget look like for cycling?

Court of Appeal to reconsider ruling on cycle funding cuts in England, with judge citing “real prospect of success”

The appeal could help “hardwire stability” for sustained cycling funding in England, the Transport Action Network says

Cyclists launch petition to improve “unsafe, unacceptable” narrow cycle lane, with fears strong winds could blow cyclists into 50mph+ oncoming traffic or down a steep bank

A report from the council has suggested widening or realigning the cycle lane for a long-term solution, making access to private lands an “almost certainty”

“Accelerate efforts to eradicate cyclist deaths,” demand campaigners from major London universities calling for action on road safety

Academics and students from all London's major academic institutions have joined forces to explore "a safer future for cycling" in the city, action sparked by two staff and one student being killed while cycling in less than a year

“We have reached the bottom”: SUV driver charged with murder after cyclist’s road rage death leaves French cycling community “deeply shaken”

The cyclist was allegedly crushed following a roadside row when the motorist cut across an unprotected cycle lane, as mayor says “it is unacceptable to die in Paris while riding a bike” and activists call for “end to road violence”

Active travel campaigners blast “clumsy, unworkable, and discriminatory” plan to ban cycling in Birmingham city centre, which council says will target delivery cyclists “speeding around city without care”

“Unfortunately, the safety of pedestrians and cyclists mixing can be a dangerous combination,” Birmingham City Council said as it announced proposals for new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in pedestrian areas

“Majority of cyclists are reasonable people and will dismount”: Cycling campaign opposes controversial town centre cycle ban which has seen “738 cyclists fined in last few months”

Town councillor also reported being "inundated with complaints from residents that have been fined dismounting their bikes in the town centre"

National Highways to stop calling collisions ‘accidents’, as campaigners welcome “significant step” in recognising crashes are “not random events, but preventable incidents caused by human actions”

"For far too long, the term 'accident' has masked accountability and allowed society to dismiss the daily tragedy of road deaths and serious injuries as inevitable"

90% scared of cycling in UK cities — new research suggests fear of collisions, road rage and theft putting people off

Calling the findings a "wake-up call", bike subscription provider Swapfiets said "it's clear that current efforts aren't enough" and urged government "to not only reinstate but increase the active travel budget"

Build safe cycling routes to help people ditch cars for local journeys, urges senior doctor “redressing balance” of city’s “polarised” cycling ban debate

Dr Jonathan Leach OBE says if he could prescribe exercise it "would be one of the most effective drugs", the Worcester-based doctor trying to "redress the balance" of "so much negativity locally" from those "vehemently anti-cycling"

eBay’s banning private e-bike sales – but how well will it police its “eligible business sellers”?

Electrical Safety First says marketplaces should be legally obligated to take “reasonable steps” to ensure products sold via their sites are safe

Cyclists “horrified” by Iain Duncan Smith’s Telegraph column suggesting “dangerous cyclists should be driven off our roads”, as Conservative MP accused of ignoring main road safety issues in latest call for stricter legislation

The former Tory leader believes existing legislation around cycling "is clearly out of date", but has been accused of playing into "culture wars" and deliberately ignoring other road safety issues which cause far more deaths and serious injuries

Cyclists can’t reach proposed active travel route due to town centre bike ban, as “crazy” plans slammed as “white elephant” that will not benefit cycling

“A toucan crossing, by definition, is for pedestrians and cyclists. But there is no way of actually cycling to get there”

David Attenborough encourages boy to stage anti-cycle lane protest, as veteran broadcaster weighs in on plans to “sacrifice 26 irreplaceable trees” for new bike route

More than 1,200 people have signed a petition urging the council to stop the cycling infrastructure project “immediately” – but the local authority says new trees will be planted in their place

Cyclists accuse Living Streets of stoking “culture war” over electric bikes, but walking charity claims it is only opposed to “illegally modified e-bikes and riding e-bikes dangerously on pavements”

Living Streets had sent an email to its members asking if anyone had been “negatively affected by an e-bike/e-scooter” for featuring on a segment on Sky News, but cyclists raised concerns over not distinguishing between legal and illegal bikes

Locals call for “immediate pause” to “completely bonkers” 5-mile cycle lane that will threaten the area’s “unique aesthetic and character”, while raising questions over “need for the bike route”

Concerns have been raised over the degradation of ecology and the lack of consultation by the council, but the council claims to have conducted plenty of consultation and considered the potential impact on the environment

BBC “sorry” cyclist “did not appreciate” headline branding crash which saw drink driver kill ice hockey star and brother while cycling a “car accident”

The broadcaster has changed its description of the fatal collision to “bike and car crash”, after readers pointed out the original vocabulary used in the story was “biased and incorrect”

Campaigners accuse council of “ignoring evidence” after allowing traffic on bus and cycle lane which halved collision numbers and reduced journey times

After the decision taken by the Conservative-led council, the bus and cycle lane will be in operation from 7am to 7pm, but other road users will be able to use it outside of those times

Allowing “speeding” cyclists to ride on “struggling” high street would lead to “carnage” and “frighten” elderly, say traders opposed to lifting cycling ban in pedestrianised shopping area

A consultation is currently being carried out concerning a proposed 18-month two-way cycling trial, after plans to implement it this year were kiboshed after opposition from outspoken councillors

Average cycling distances in England fall to lowest levels in a decade: Government urged to deliver on active travel promises as think tank expert slams transport system as “broken and stacked against poorest in society”

According to the Department for Transport’s National Travel Survey, people in England averaged 47 miles by bike in 2023, a 17 per cent drop on the previous year and just over half the distance recorded in 2020, while car trips continue to climb

Cycling campaigners paint fake “free parking” signs on pavement to protest against “anti-social” illegal parking in Dublin… but drivers continue to park over painted signs

The activists took the action to bring to light the council turning a blind eye to letting drivers park illegally with impunity, but the drivers wasted no time in making use of the fake parking bays regardless

Cycling UK calls on Labour government to put “divisive rhetoric” around active travel to bed “once and for all” with “coherent and committed” investment for cycling

The cycling charity has asked the government to commit 10% of the total transport budget to active travel, arguing this would bring huge dividends for public health and the environment

E-bike batteries: Government to tackle “unscrupulous overseas suppliers” who sell unsafe products via online marketplaces

"This bill has the opportunity to ensure those who have already lost their lives to these devastating fires did not do so in vain"

“I was new, I didn’t know the rules”: Delivery cyclists urge colleagues to follow rules as 37 riders issued £100 fines for cycling in city centre

While the public has welcomed the fines, Just Eat and Deliveroo riders have claimed that they weren’t informed of the cycling ban, with some riders just barely days into their jobs

Local reporter asks if motorists care that cyclists are dying on roads at “alarming rate” – and readers respond by claiming cyclists “think they own the road then suffer the consequences” amid calls for cycling licences, insurance, and mandatory helmets

“If more than 100 people every year were murdered by gangs of madmen wielding chainsaws, the government would make it near-impossible to buy a chainsaw. But when it comes to the deaths of cyclists on our roads, we bury our heads in the sand”

“We are sorry if we have not always got it right”: Council waives penalties for cyclists fined by “cowboy” wardens for riding on pavements and town centre streets

The local authority admitted that “responsible” cyclists were issued £100 fines despite not committing a “significant breach” of the city’s PSPO, and that education – not fines – should be prioritised