Yesterday was probably not one of the best for Eurostar, what with a fire in the Channel Tunnel and all services suspended, but at least they had some good news. The high-speed passenger train service that linking UK to the Continent, announced that it has seen a 300% increase in the number of bikes it carries following the introduction of a new bicycle reservation system in April 2008. The new system enables cyclists to reserve a place for their bikes on the same train they are travelling on, simply by calling 08705 850 850. The new service costs £20 for a one way journey and is available between London, Paris and Brussels. The new reservation system was introduced following discussions with CTC – the UK National Cyclists’ Organisation – and after calls from other cycling groups to make it easier for passengers to plan a cycling holiday using Eurostar. Between April and August 2007, Eurostar’s registered baggage service (before pre-booking a specific train became possible) carried 347 bicycles. Between April and August this year, the launch of the reservation system has increased the number of bikes carried (using both the new system and the registered baggage option) to 1,377 – an increase of 300%! In addition, many cyclists who have folding bikes or who can dismantle their bike and place it in a bike bag choose to carry them onboard the train as part of their normal luggage allowance. Dave Holladay, CTC’s Public Transport Advisor, commented: “These impressive figures are a result of Eurostar’s willingness to sit down, listen, and institute a practical and pragmatic solution. The response from cyclists is obvious and we look forward to developing further opportunities with Eurostar as the link into the Continent.”
Cycle bookings catch fire on Eurostar
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Sounds like a recommendation to me - after all, who'd want their writing to be emotionally empty?
I think MM's point is more fatally flawed than that - people *do* complain about inequality in running. There might be less inequality than in cycling, but there's still an over-representation of white people and barriers to participation.
@MaxiMinimalist Sorted 👍
@MaxiMinimalist Would you care to give an example of any of those traits to which you claim Jack inclines, because I can't see any of them on display here.
@lemonenema You start at grassroots, reach out to every community and give them a chance to try the sport and go from there. You maybe encourage pro teams to think about trying out more young black athletes, they're well known for taking youngsters from sports like rowing and cross-country ski-ing and turning them into cyclists, I'm sure with the natural advantages of Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes there are some young men and women in those nations who could be great climbers if encouraged to try. Nobody is saying just take the best twenty black women cyclists and dump them in the peleton. You seem to be concerned about the unfairness of something that nobody, as far as I can see, is actually proposing.
@MaxiMinimalist Nobody complains about a lack of diversity in marathon running (if such exists, I don't really follow athletics any more but there seem to be plenty of white runners whenever I see it) because equality of opportunity in the sport already exists and nobody objects if the best then get to the top. Road cycling in many regions is almost 100% white dominated and there are problems with a lack of encouragement for black youth to get involved in road racing at least (near me the excellent Peckham BMX club does sterling work getting black kids to try BMX racing on our Olympic-standard track, with the result that it's hugely popular with that demographic and we are seeing black kids start to come through at national and international level). If equal opportunities existed and no black rider made it into the pro peleton then so be it, but until they do the complaints are justified. Your analogy rests on a false premise and is frankly rather stupid.
And that's very commendable, but it needs to be done right, not done for the sake of appearances. How do you ensure that potential barriers are removed and diversity is promoted without unfairly selecting specific ethnicities for the sake of inclusion?
@lemonenema Good job that Ms.McGowan is not asking, as far as the evidence above goes, for any sort of quota system then, isn't it? She's talking about increasing the opportunities for black women to participate in the sport and removing any barriers that may exist to them reaching their greatest potential, not simply enforcing an X% black women representation regardless of ability.
Driver expected to drive in accordance with the highway code. I can see why he was vexed by that!
Leaving aside the joke sentence, how on earth did someone with a history of mental problems, substance abuse and serious crime involving motor vehicles manage to obtain a licence and then employment driving the most dangerous vehicle on the road? Who did the vetting and when are they resigning?