HC Deb 13 June 2000 vol 351 cc552-3W
Mr. MacShane

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each year since 1990 the number of(a) people using bicycles, (b) miles cycled and (c) journeys made by bicycle. [124862]

Mr. Hill

[holding answer 9 June 2000]The available information for Great Britain, from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions' National Travel Survey, is shown in the table:

1990–92 1993–95 1996–98
Percentage of households with at least one cycle 36 38 40
Stages per person per year1 20 18 17
Miles per person per year1 41 37 38
1The figures for journeys and miles per person per year are averages over all people in the survey

Further information is given in the Transport Statistics Report "Cycling in Great Britain" available from the House of Commons Library.

Mr. MacShane

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made towards achieving the National Cycling Strategy's objective of doubling the proportion of journeys made by bicycle by 2002. [124863]

Mr. Hill

[holding answer 9 June 2000]We have endorsed the targets set by the National Cycling Strategy when it was launched in 1996, i.e. to double the number of cycle trips (based on 1996 figures) by 2002 and to double it again by 2012.

However, we now recognise that it is unlikely that the 2002 target will be achieved. It has become apparent that more preparation was needed than was originally anticipated in 1996. But with the increased provision of infrastructure and other measures by local authorities, following the introduction of Local Transport Plans and the Launch of the Road Safety Strategy, we are confident of achieving the target of a fourfold increase in the number of cycle trips by 2012.

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