“Desperation”, “last-minute scrapping for votes”, and “a definite vote-losing policy” — these are some vignettes in which cyclists and active travel campaigners have described the Conservative party’s latest press release, in which it promises to scrap what it calls “traffic-inducing measures” such as ULEZ, low traffic neighbourhoods and 20mph speed limits upon winning the upcoming election.

The news comes courtesy of Forbes’ transport correspondent Carlton Reid who reported that the Conservative press office issued this “bizarre” release titled “Bold action to back drivers” of reversing the policies, many of which were introduced by themselves.

The release claims that the Tories would introduce a Backing Drivers Bill in the first King’s Speech after the election of a new government with proposals to scrap these measures.

The news comes just a week after a political pandemonium regarding the ‘dangerous cycling’ bill, which was first passed by ministers in the House of Commons, but was then shelved in less than a week following the announcement of a general election on 4 July by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak — the prorogation of the Parliament meaning that there won’t be enough time for the bill to pass through the Lords’ chamber, before receiving a cross-party backing of being passed once the new government is elected in.

> “Dangerous cycling” law will be passed following election, Labour and Conservatives confirm

In this latest press release, Sunak is quoted to be saying that Tories represent the party “on the side of the drivers”, reiterating what he has already stated several times in the past year and even in the run-up to Tory party’s election for Boris Johnson’s successor, which he eventually lost to Liz Truss.

He added: “We will empower drivers and local residents to challenge aggressive and punitive traffic-inducing measures, like low traffic neighbourhoods that were imposed without local consent.”

The release also states that the proposed bill would “reverse Labour’s unfair ULEZ expansion in London, stop pay-per-mile road taxes and empower local residents to rule out blanket LTNs and 20mph zones.”

However, in Forbes’ article, Reid points out that a lot of the LTNs were in fact enabled by the Tory government during the pandemic, while ULEZ was started in London by then Mayor Boris Johnson. Reid also pointed out that the Labour party has no plans for pay-per-mile road taxes.

“Sadiq Khan’s unpopular ULEZ expansion charges thousands of people living around London… and can now no longer afford to get to hospital appointments or where they work or study,” stated the press release, claiming that a new Conservative government would reverse it.

Low traffic neighbourhoods and 20mph zones could be challenged more easily, the release said, adding that “any new schemes [would be] subject to a local referendum.

Sunak said the choice for voters was “between Labour who have launched a war on drivers in London and Wales, and our clear plan to give drivers the freedom they need to build a secure future for themselves and their children.”

> Rishi Sunak’s ‘Plan for Motorists’ will “rob people of choice” and force them to drive, say cycling and walking campaigners

Cyclists have launched a scathing critique of this latest information, with Twitter user and active travel advocate Bob From Accounts pointing out that similar promises didn’t work out too well for Susan Hall, the Conservative Member of the London Assembly who recently lost out to Sadiq Khan in the London mayor elections.

Another cyclist and campaigner Carla Francome wrote: “That’ll save them then. Honestly, who are these people getting their advice from…”

A Twitter user also wondered whether this means that the Tories are “vowing to scrap their own plans if elected”, adding the accusations of flip-flopping on their agenda.

> “Next you’ll be asking if drink driving laws are fair”: UK Government asks motorists “caught out” by cycle lanes if current traffic fines are “fair to drivers”, leaving cyclists baffled

In the past, the Prime Minister and the Tory government have been accused by the charity CyclingUK of seeking to exploit divisions over LTN when a review into the traffic-calming measures was announced.

A joint group of cycling and walking campaigners, including CyclingUK, British Cycling and Sustrans, said last September that the government’s ‘Plan for Motorists’ will “rob people of choice” and force them to drive, destroying any hopes of a cycle-friendly future.

In March, it was reported that the government even tried to bury its own report on the enquiry into LTNs because it concluded that they are effective in reducing traffic and generally popular among residents.

When the report was eventually made available to the public a couple of days later, London’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner Will Norman also joined in attacking the government for continuing with its “load of angry rhetoric against LTNs, 20mph & even bus lane cameras”, despite its own research proving the benefits.

Just a few days ago, the think tank Demos, as part of a report exploring the implementation of LTNs across the UK in recent years and the “explosion” of conspiracy theories – particularly surrounding 15-minute cities – that accompanied this policy, recommended that politicians should be punished for spreading and amplifying disinformation about active travel schemes.