Martin Tod and Mark Oaten MP Urge Council to encourage people to "Get on their Bike"

1.59.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 31st Jul 2009

Local MP Mark Oaten is challenging Hampshire County Council to improve provisions for cyclists in Winchester by providing more Cycle Routes and better Bicycle Parking Facilities.

Mark is also asking the County Council to look at an expansion of initiatives that educate members of the community about both the benefits of cycling and the necessary safety aspects.

Recent research by the Cyclists Touring Club has shown that the more people there are cycling on the roads the safer it is. To encourage more people to cycle Mark believes that Winchester needs to follow the example of cities such as London, York and Cambridge by making the roads a more welcoming place for cyclists.

There are more people who cycle in these cities because their needs are provided for with cycle routes and adequate parking. If there were more dedicated cycle routes in Winchester then people would be more likely to use their bike instead of their car.

Several Liberal Democrat Councillors are members of the Winchester Cycle Working Party, established by the Liberal Democrats, which works at the City and County level to improve the cycle network. By working in partnership with the City and County Councils Mark hopes a change in peoples' attitudes to cycling in Winchester can be brought about.

Mark Oaten commented:

"Cycling is an important part of the green agenda and the health agenda but it needs to be made safe and practical."

"I think local authorities can help encourage people to get on their bikes just by taking some small practical steps such as creating safe cycle routes and making available space for bikes to be locked up."

"I know there is a lot of interest in this and I while I am urging the council to keep this high on their agenda I am also interested in listening to their suggestions."

Prospective MP Martin Tod joining in with Winchester's Bike Week

Martin Tod, Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Winchester, added:

"Cycling has been a Lib Dem priority for many years: it's one reason the Winchester Cycle Working Party was set up when we were running the council. As Mark says, we need to make it safer and easier for people to start cycling or get back on their bikes - whether that's through contraflow lanes, dedicated bike lanes and routes or more central bike stands. Cycle parking figures show a steady increase in the number of people cycling in Winchester, but we could be doing even better.

"I'm a big fan of Winchester's Bike Week. It got me back on my bike last year after many years and I've been using my bike to get around town ever since. This year's Bike Week was another great success and I hope it will continue to get even more people back on two wheels.