London's cycling population must be more diverse, says Walking and Cycling Commissioner
Posted on in Cycles News
Will Norman who is tasked to deliver London Mayor Sadiq Khan's pledge to make walking and cycling safer in the capital, said he is now considering setting diversity targets for London's cycling population.
Speaking to The Independent Mr Norman said: "There is a problem with cycling and the way it is perceived of getting middle-aged men cycling faster around the city, which is not the objective at all.
"It touches on something which is a real challenge for London cycling, which is diversity."
To address this issue the mayor's office has announced a number of projects. These include cycle training courses, grants for community groups who do not typically cycle and promoting electric bikes and expanding existing cycle routes.
Mr Norman continued "Even when we have seen the growth in the number of cyclists, we haven't seen that diversity.
"There are a number of reasons for that. One is that safety is paramount for getting different people from different walks of life cycling: older people, younger people, those from different backgrounds."
Sadiq Khan has promised an average of £169m annually for cycling schemes over the next five years, up from an average yearly spend of £91m promised during the previous Conservative mayoralty.
Discussing the efforts being made to encourage more people to cycle, Duncan Dollimore, road safety and legal campaigns officer at Cycling UK, backed the move, saying authorities should be "focusing on the barriers that deter people from cycling rather than existing cyclists".