LONDON Mayor, Boris Johnson, and his Boris Bikes scheme might be having some teething problems – such as not enough bike stations – but generally they must go in the category ‘a good thing’.
They’ve enabled Londoners to become more mobile and at the cost of zero CO2 emissions.
Boris is a keen cyclist himself, but his predecessor, Ken Livingstone, did much to encourage cycling by putting his political weight behind a better cycling network. And organisations such as Sustrans has done huge amounts to promote cycling in Britain.
On Saturday we decided to go and watch Harlequins at the Stoop by bike. The kick-off was at 130pm, so it was perfectly timed – and the weather was benign.
I set off with my son Matt, and picked up Quins fan Mike along the way. Mike is the Daily Mirror’s environmental correspondent, so he’s always got some interesting viewpoints on what is going on in the world.
But enjoying a cycle ride to Quins is very much the result of an improved cycle network that we should all be grateful for.
There are always obvious clangers – such as the stretch of wide pavement which is designated for cycling and pedestrians except that at the very point that it has a cycle sign on the pavement there’s immediately in front of you a wastebin and a bus stop shelter. Hmmm…not all things are right with it yet!
But the point is we can cycle from Hampton to Twickenham through a combination of side streets and parks, and keep off the main roads. It was hugely enjoyable.
In fact, the game against Northampton Saints was a pulsatingly exciting affair, even if we did come out on the wrong side of the winning score – how could the fourth official disallow that last minute try? What was wrong with the man!
Sustainable transport will be an increasingly important part of our lives – it simply has to be, for various reasons. It keeps you fit; it’s free; and we can’t always keep jumping in our cars.
Cyclists (particularly the lycra-clad lot) often get a bad press, and quite rightly so, for jumping lights and generally ignoring the highway code – much to the chagrin of motorists. I can understand their anger. But the more that is done to ‘normalise’ cycling – by Boris Bikes or more traditional sit-up-and-beg style bikes – then the better as far as I’m concerned. (Not that I don’t mind a bit of lycra-style cycling myself you understand – but hopefully you get my point.)
Cycling is a great form of transport. And small businesses should encourage staff to make best use of the facilities around them.
After all, if you use your bike for business, you can claim 20p for every business mile – tax-free.
Business Car Manager: Editor’s Blog
