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news
Rishi Sunak official portraitRishi Sunak’s ‘Plan for Motorists’ will “rob people of choice” and force them to drive, say cycling and walking campaigners
Rishi Sunak’s so-called ‘Plan for Motorists’ – a package of measures expected to be announced at the upcoming Conservative Party conference which will curb the introduction of 20mph speed limits and allow drivers to use bus lanes more frequently – has been criticised by the UK’s leading cycling and walking organisations, who say the proposals will restrict people’s travel choices, “leaving many with one default option: to drive”.
The prime minister’s expected announcement, first reported by the Guardian, marks his latest contentious attempt to win votes by taking an explicit pro-motoring stance, a position first outlined over the summer when Sunak claimed he was “on the side” of drivers and underscored by last week’s highly divisive pledge to water down some of the government’s key net zero commitments, such as the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
Sunak’s latest ‘Plan for Motorists’, which is expected to be announced at the Conservative conference on Monday, is reported to include proposals to limit the power of local authorities in England to place new 20mph speed limits on main roads.
Earlier this month, 20mph speed limits were implemented on almost 500km of roads in Wales, with initial analysis suggesting a “dramatic” change in traffic speeds, and a “far more pleasant” and safer environment for cyclists and walkers, while journey times for motorists in Cardiff and Wrexham have increased by 45 and 63 seconds, respectively.
Aside from limiting the power of councils to introduce 20mph limits, the prime minister aims to restrict the number of hours a day that car traffic is banned from bus lanes, while also curbing the ability of local authorities to impose fines from traffic infractions caught by automatic number plate recognition cameras, and on the use of such cameras at box junctions.
Sunak is also expected to raise concerns about 15-minute cities, an urban planning concept devised to enable residents to easily walk or cycle to necessities such as shops, schools, or pharmacies, but which has come under fire in recent months from conspiracy theorists who believe the schemes are part of a plot to restrict movement and infringe upon individual freedoms.
> Tory MP attacks 15-minute city concept with known conspiracy theory
A Department for Transport source, however, has described the policies as “speculation”.
Nevertheless, six of the UK’s leading active travel groups have claimed that the prime minister’s reported ‘Plan for Motorists’ will deny citizens “their choice, health, and freedom”.
According to the CEOs of Cycling UK, British Cycling, Bikeability Trust, Living Streets, Ramblers, and Sustrans, the proposals, instead of giving people real choice over how they live their lives, “ignore possibilities for cheap, reliable, and sustainable travel, leaving many with one default option: to drive”.
The Plan for Motorists, the organisations claim, “strips away opportunities” for families, currently in the midst of a cost of living crisis, to allow their children to walk or cycle to school safely, live healthy lives, and to travel to work or make short journeys cheaply, while also increasing congestion and pollution.
> Rishi Sunak accused of seeking to exploit division over LTNs as he orders review of schemes
“When the government should be giving people more opportunities to live their lives responsibly, it’s robbing them of options,” a joint statement from the six groups says.
“When Ministers could be promoting public transport, cycling, and walking as cheap sustainable options in a cost of living and climate crisis, they’re entrenching congestion and reliance on driving for short, local journeys.
“When the government could respect people’s freedom to choose how they travel, it’s removing the alternatives. This is a plan that looks no further than one way of travelling and will make the roads worse for those occasions when people do need to drive.
“Having a reliable bus route to work, the freedom to cycle to the park, or to be able to let your children walk to school safely while breathing clean air should not be beyond us.
“This plan restricts people’s travel choices, setting the country on cruise control towards missed net zero targets and a worsening health and inactivity crisis, while denying our children of their independence and freedom to move around their local area safely.”
Last week, Cycling UK argued that Sunak’s “watering down” of the UK’s net zero commitments underlines the need for the public to show their support for green, healthy policies.
The prospect of active travel, as well as environmental, initiatives being dragged onto the campaign trail ahead of the next general election became increasingly likely over the summer, in the wake of the Conservatives’ win at the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, a narrow victory credited to the Tory opposition to Labour mayor Sadiq Khan’s plans to extend London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone.
Following that symbolic by-election, Sunak announced that was “on the side” of motorists and ordered the Department for Transport (DfT) to undertake a review of LTNs and traffic-calming measures, prompting Cycling UK to urge the prime minister to avoid sowing dissension between cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists by using the schemes as a “political football” during the election campaign.
Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s senior news writer. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.
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96 comments
The real reason they won in Uxbridge was the 8000 student votes many of which would have gone to labour which didn't get cast as the election was held in the university holiday. This idea that ulez was the reason is rubbish
I also read about the Tory candidate being a local lad, whilst Labour brought in someone from London.
I think Rishi has overlooked an issue that I expect would win him some more votes - Vigilante cyclists praying on 'innocent' motorists waiting in traffic! Rishi should announce a review of "Operation Snap" and stop the likes of @CyclingMikey victimising drivers when they are no danger to anyone!
😈advocate. Don't be surprised if this turns out to be true🤔
Yup, I've prayed for a few motorists, but not for good things for them.
I suggest perhaps that you look up the meaning of the word vigilante and also while you are at it look up the meaning of the word innocent as you are very wrong on both counts!
I suggest perhaps that you look up the meaning of the word vigilante and also while you are at it look up the meaning of the word innocent as you are very wrong on both counts!
I suggest perhaps that you look up the meaning of the word vigilante and also while you are at it look up the meaning of the word innocent as you are very wrong on both counts!
I think you have missed TA's irony. I've had a quick look back, and I think he's a good guy, rather than one of the usual dimwit trolling retreads
I think you misunderstood my posting!
Yes, i do fully apologize having reread it, I'll get me coat!
I shouldn't be in the least surprised, have seen quite a few drivists seriously proposing that regulations should be changed so that only evidence from official cameras can be used to prosecute motoring offences. Apparently some cyclists deliberately set their cameras up to make it appear as if an offence has been committed when none has. I did ask (this was on Xcrement) how I could set my camera up to do this but didn't get an answer.
Turn it on?
Forget about Sunak. The question should be what are the STP, Starmer Tory Party, going to do?
Probably "not much for the cyclist". Seriously - before this point about the high point was Corbyn getting on a bike. (Which - for parity - even Boris did on occasion).
However what they'll say is probably some similar stuff to Sunak, with the appendix "because x years of the Tories have ruined it for you".
Whether that "sets the tone" or whether they nail themselves to something like this remains to be seen.
I think this doesn't change the nature of people in the UK (or anywhere) though. That is - we're very much wedded to driving. However a surprising number will at least say (in person) that they might like quieter streets, to be able to get things locally, to be able to get their kids to school without the car, etc.
However it's very easy to generate noise and opposition. I think this sadly goes a bit further than just the "usual suspects". BUT when change does happen and it makes somewhere feel less like a road with houses attached and more like a place, after a few months getting used to it few people want to go back.
Well Labour's first response was to attack the Tories for introducing LTNs in the first place, so you can work out how the rest of this will go.
There We Are Then.
I find it worrying that "driving a car wherever and whenever I want" us being framed as some sort of Great British Patriotic duty, because that implies that everything else is unpatriotic or unBritish (and therefore a valid target).
Reminds me of all that Enemies of the People stuff a few years ago when some high court judges had the temerity to point out that what the Govt was doing (whatever it was) was actually illegal...
Take your pick, there are so many to choose from.
I find it worrying that "driving a car wherever and whenever I want" us being framed as some sort of Great British Patriotic duty, because that implies that everything else is unpatriotic or unBritish (and therefore a valid target).
Reminds me of all that Enemies of the People stuff a few years ago when some high court judges had the temerity to point out that what the Govt was doing (whatever it was) was actually illegal...
A motorist is just a person in a car. There are so many people in cars, that it is scary for people to choose anything other than car travel. Perhaps if we slow down cars in certain areas and reduce them in some areas then people will feel safer not using a car.
This is not a war.
It's not about making rational transport choices either.
Sunak is everything that's broken with British politics. He's literally tearing strategic policies that broadly had cross party support to try to get a few votes. Whatever happened to their bold vision for cycling and walking.
I can't get any of our local Tories to admit that a LWCIP is their idea and that they challenged councils to be bold. They wrote Gear Change, they updated the HC, they set up Active Travel England. WTF aren't the media and the opposition parties all over this, surely their biggest U turn yet.
I wait to see the data on changes to air quality in outer London, but my expectation is the ULEZ expansion will have minimal impact. 2 reasons for this: a) only about 10% of journies were by non compliant vehicles. b) most of the non compliant vehicles already have reasonably low emissions anyway. Gone are the days of the British Leyland oil burning engines!
It's difficult to say exactly. In that 10% there will be some disproportionately polluting vehicles - ones that produce 30x NO2 and particulates compared to compliant vehicles. That has the potential to make a noticeable difference, but only if they actually disappear from the roads rather than pay (or avoid paying) the ULEZ charge.
Edit: duplicate
Can someone please sort out this website?!
We could have another round of "what I did while waiting for the page to load" I've done a complete rebuild of a Sturmey Archer 5s hub, broken-in a Brooks B17, got a frame resprayed at Argos and worn out my Gator Skins.
I thought it was just me. I rebuilt my computer and switched ISP believing it was a damaged wireless device and poor internet. I should have simply checked another website.
I'll tell you what robbed me and my family of choice - the 40mph traffic on our local roads which scares my chidren from cycling. The complete lack of alternative safe cycle routes. The fact that they need to cross four lanes of traffic to get to the park. The cars whizzing up and down the street which means they can't safely play in the street or go to their friends' houses unnaccompanied. The cars parked on pavements which makes using a pushchair impossible.
Not 20mph zones or modal filters.
Excellent work from Rishi and the Conservatives - standing up for the people against the wokerati and vociferous minority who are only interested in their own lives and money, and not the wider economies and everyone else.
Very overdue - it's ridiculous that a ULEZ tax can even just be implemented like that with no say from the people. 20mph speed limits have already been proven to be pointless.
Everyone still has free choice on what transport to use - but for once, the favour goes back to those who need to drive cars for once, while not dropping the cycling need.
Friday again!
Barman.....! A wokerati on the rocks!
Friday again!
Barman.....! A wokerati on the rocks!
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