Britain’s leading cycling manufacturers and retailers were today brought together by Mayor of London Boris Johnson to discuss how the industry can support London’s cycling revolution.
The City Hall meeting, set up as part of a ‘year of cycling’ in the Capital, focussed on ways to boost safety and security, concerns about which are frequently cited as barriers to people choosing to cycle.
This year will see the Mayor and Transport for London are investing £111 million in a range of cycle projects, including landmark cycle superhighways and a 6000-bike cycle hire scheme. The attendees, ranging from specialist manufacturers to world-renowned bike brands and retailers, looked at how public and private organisations can work together to deliver improvements across a number of themes:
- Encouraging new cyclists
- Improving cyclist safety on London’s roads
- Reducing bike theft
- Ways in which manufacturers and retailers can be involved in the year of cycling initiatives
The Mayor said: “In London we are striving towards a real cycling revolution, which will make the bicycle the mode of choice for thousands more Londoners – cutting congestion and pollution.
“To help us achieve this we want to harness the unique knowledge and assets of the cycling industry – pooling ideas and working together to make cycling safer and more secure.
“This is London’s year of cycling, and I want to ensure that everything possible is done to break down the barriers that prevent people from taking up the cleanest, greenest, and often quickest means of getting around London.”
The number of cyclists killed or seriously injured in London has fallen by 21 per cent in the last decade. This is despite the fact that the number of cycle journeys made on London’s major roads has increased by 107 per cent since 2000.
