bicycle
19-11-2008, 12:28 PM
THE credit crunch will prompt workers in Mid-Anglia to leave their cars at home - and switch to pedal power.
Soaring petrol prices coupled with pressure on household budgets has made cycling more attractive, according to a national study.
And in our region, where bike use has been growing steadily, experts forecast even more people will soon hop into the saddle.
The national study has been carried out by the insurance arm of the Sainsbury supermarket chain. It shows that about 12 per cent of Britain's workforce - one in eight people - have switched to cycling from cars or public transport.
On average, the study claims, cycling saves a person about £33.70 a week - and many people are also swayed by the added benefit of improving personal fitness and helping the environment.
Neil Laird, manager for Sainsbury's Home Insurance, said: "These figures demonstrate a clear effort to save money, a reflection on how people are changing their lifestyle to adjust to new economic conditions."
Gary Armstrong, adviser for Cambridgeshire's Travel for Work Partnership, which seeks to promote environment-friendly commuting, said: "Over the last few years the Cambridgeshire Travel for Work Partnership has seen from its own annual travel-to-work survey a steady rise in the use of the bicycle for commuting, rising from under 20 per cent in the late 1990s up to a current figure of just over 24 per cent.
"I'm sure that in the difficult economic times ahead, we will see more people deciding to use bikes - and not only bikes, but car-sharing and other forms of transport."
Jim Chisholm, spokesman for Cambridge Cycling Campaign, said he was pleased to see that so many more people were cycling.
He said: "Even before petrol prices rose, more were cycling within Cambridge, with numbers rising by nearly 15 per cent in the two years up to 2007.
"Even those living outside the city are leaving cars at home and cycling more. Twenty per cent more people now cycle from the villages to Cambridge than 10 years ago, with many people realising they can save time and money as well as improving their health by cycling for some local trips."
But he added that nearly half of all South Cambridgeshire residents felt cycling would be improved by providing extra cycle lanes and paths away from busy traffic.
As the News has reported, Cambridge has been given the status of a Cycling Demonstration Town by the Government, which will mean money will be pumped into the county to boost facilities, and training for cyclists.
n Have you swapped your four wheels for two and taken up cycling to work? Get in touch with the News and tell us your experiences. Email us at newsdesk@cambridge-news.co.uk , or write to Newsdesk, Cambridge News, Winship Road, Milton, Cambridge CB24 6PP.
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=367408
Soaring petrol prices coupled with pressure on household budgets has made cycling more attractive, according to a national study.
And in our region, where bike use has been growing steadily, experts forecast even more people will soon hop into the saddle.
The national study has been carried out by the insurance arm of the Sainsbury supermarket chain. It shows that about 12 per cent of Britain's workforce - one in eight people - have switched to cycling from cars or public transport.
On average, the study claims, cycling saves a person about £33.70 a week - and many people are also swayed by the added benefit of improving personal fitness and helping the environment.
Neil Laird, manager for Sainsbury's Home Insurance, said: "These figures demonstrate a clear effort to save money, a reflection on how people are changing their lifestyle to adjust to new economic conditions."
Gary Armstrong, adviser for Cambridgeshire's Travel for Work Partnership, which seeks to promote environment-friendly commuting, said: "Over the last few years the Cambridgeshire Travel for Work Partnership has seen from its own annual travel-to-work survey a steady rise in the use of the bicycle for commuting, rising from under 20 per cent in the late 1990s up to a current figure of just over 24 per cent.
"I'm sure that in the difficult economic times ahead, we will see more people deciding to use bikes - and not only bikes, but car-sharing and other forms of transport."
Jim Chisholm, spokesman for Cambridge Cycling Campaign, said he was pleased to see that so many more people were cycling.
He said: "Even before petrol prices rose, more were cycling within Cambridge, with numbers rising by nearly 15 per cent in the two years up to 2007.
"Even those living outside the city are leaving cars at home and cycling more. Twenty per cent more people now cycle from the villages to Cambridge than 10 years ago, with many people realising they can save time and money as well as improving their health by cycling for some local trips."
But he added that nearly half of all South Cambridgeshire residents felt cycling would be improved by providing extra cycle lanes and paths away from busy traffic.
As the News has reported, Cambridge has been given the status of a Cycling Demonstration Town by the Government, which will mean money will be pumped into the county to boost facilities, and training for cyclists.
n Have you swapped your four wheels for two and taken up cycling to work? Get in touch with the News and tell us your experiences. Email us at newsdesk@cambridge-news.co.uk , or write to Newsdesk, Cambridge News, Winship Road, Milton, Cambridge CB24 6PP.
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=367408