§ 35. Mr. HANNONasked the Minister of Transport the number of pedal bicycles now in use upon the roads of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the number of cases in which such cyclists have been prosecuted for violation of the law relating to the use of the highway?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAThere are no statistics of the number of pedal cycles in use in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I am informed that in 1933, the latest year for which particulars are available, 47,550 pedal cyclists were prosecuted for highway offences in Great Britain.
§ 36. Mr. HANNONasked the Minister of Transport whether he has considered the representations of the National Cyclists' Union, and other bodies concerned with the welfare of bicycle riders upon the highways of the country, expressing opposition to the introduction of cycle tracks; and what action he proposes to take upon the case thus submitted to him?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI must inform the House that the increase in the number of fatal and other accidents to cyclists appears, from such information as is before me, to be out of all proportion to those of other road users, casualties among whom actually tend to decrease. The number of pedestrians killed and injured on the roads in 1934, as compared with 1933, increased by less than 1 per cent., but in the case of cyclists by 44.2 per cent. In these circumstances, I am still not without hope that cyclists will accept the principle of segregating traffic as far as possible according to the speed at which it can travel as being as much for their safety and convenience as has been the setting aside of footpaths for the sole use of pedestrians.
§ Mr. HANNONWhile thanking my hon. Friend for his very full answer, may I ask him whether, notwithstanding what he has said in that reply, representations made by organised bodies of cyclists will receive his sympathetic consideration?
§ Captain WATERHOUSEIs it not a fact that local authorities in Denmark have provided separate cycling tracks, and that these are very popular among cyclists?
Lieut.-Colonel CHARLES MacANDREWHas the Minister any idea how many of the accidents could have been avoided if the cyclists had been carrying rear lights?
§ Lieut.-Commander AGNEWCould not the Minister extend the principle of separate highways to motorists?
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAI am naturally most willing to receive any representations, and I hope that the cyclists will assist the campaign for their own and the public safety.