The All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group (APPCG) has revealed that it is launching a major inquiry called ‘Why Don’t More People Cycle?’
The APPCG confirmed the inquiry on Twitter this morning, with a link to a Times story that provides further details, including the revelation that the newspaper’s parent company, News International, is providing a £10,000 grant for it.
The inquiry will be led by Dr Julian Huppert and Ian Austin, co-chairs of the APPCG, with a panel of ten MPs hearing evidence from a wide variety of people and organisations including cycling and road safety groups, transport planners and representatives of local and national government.
Earlier this year, Dr Huppert, MP for Cambridge, led a Commons debate on cycle safety after the issue received national attention following the launch of The Times newspaper’s Cities Fit For Cycling initiative in February.
Announcing the new inquiry, Mr Austin, who is MP for Dudley North, said: “The Times campaign has given cycling safety a higher priority than ever before and the stunning success by British cyclists this summer has more people interested in cycling.
“We want to use this inquiry to get all the political parties signed up to an action plan to create a better environment for cycling, make cycling safer and to get more people on their bikes.”
Dr Huppert added: “This work is crucially important if we are to seriously promote cycling as a safe, viable means of transport and give it the investment it needs and which has been seriously lacking in the past.”
Simon has been news editor at road.cc since 2009, reporting on 10 editions and counting of pro cycling’s biggest races such as the Tour de France, stories on issues including infrastructure and campaigning, and interviewing some of the biggest names in cycling. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, his background has proved invaluable in reporting on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, and the bike industry. He splits his time between London and Cambridge, and loves taking his miniature schnauzer Elodie on adventures in the basket of her Elephant Bike.