Government plans for railway stations to become cycling hubs

www.dft.gov.uk

Lord Adonis has announced a government plan that would enhance cycling facilities in the UK, including more specialist shops and better storage.

Major railway stations throughout the UK will have the opportunity to become “cycling hubs”, with repairs shops and additional bike storage racks, under a government plan to increase the appeal of cycling to train passengers.

Lord Adonis, the UK transport secretary, is launching a £5 million fund this week that will provide better cycle facilities for commuters at 10 terminals. The initiative is an attempt to increase the use of bicycles in the UK, hopefully moving the country closer to the usage in Netherlands, where nearly one-third of all trips to and from rail stations are on bicycles. In the UK, the figure is only two per cent.

Adonis said: “I want to see every major station also serve as a cycling hub, as is the case in Holland,” adding: “Cycling in Holland is not in the genes, it’s in the facilities that are available.”

Chris Green and Sir Peter Hall, newly-appointed stations tsars, have been tasked with recommending 10 trial stations for the summer. It is expected that London will see some of the funding, after the transport secretary, on a cycle tour of the rail station facilities in the capital found that a number of the stations had no bike racks.

Thanks to u.tv for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.dft.gov.uk