Date published: 2006/06/30
The Cambridge Evening News says:
THE Government is pledging an extra £15 million for cycling facilities in the UK but Cambridge campaigners say it is not enough.
Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander announced the extra cash will be spent over the next three years on the Cycling England initiative.
He is promising the money as part of a drive to encourage schoolchildren to get on their bike, but the Cambridge Cycling Campaign says the money is just a drop in the ocean.
James Woodburn, for the campaign, said: "We welcome this as a step in the right direction, but we think it is far too little.
"The amount spent on cycling locally and nationally is very small, and tiny in comparison to Holland, Denmark and north Germany. If we are to get serious we need to spend much more.
"We need to invest a proper amount in facilities if we are going to boost cycling in the way that is happening abroad."
...
The Cambridge Cycling Campaign promotes cycling in and around Cambridge and campaigns for the rights of cyclists.Mr Woodburn said: "At the moment 0.6 per cent of the road budget is spent on cycling facilities and that is a far, far too small amount.
"The £15 million isn't going to make many cycling improvements."
Well cyclists contribute 0 percent to the annual road tax, so the fact that (allegedly) 0.6 percent is spent on cycling facilities already means they are being over-subsidised by motorists. Of course the Cambridge Cycling Campaign is just like any other special interest pressure group. They think that their special interest should indeed be subsidised by the rest of the country. And the reason most people do not cycle has nothing to do with the alleged lack of cycle facilities. It is all about distance and comfort.
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