Following the abolition of Cycling England, the DfT has confirmed that the Bikeability cycle-training scheme will continue in its present form for the duration of the current Parliament, with its funding ring-fenced (road.cc).
Bikeability will be brought under wing of the DfT, but there are no guarantees about its long term future, or that of the cycling towns and city established under Cycling England.
Details of funding for the new Local Sustainable Transport Fund will be announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Norman Baker, local transport minister, said: "It is at a local level that most can be done to change patterns of behaviour and encourage more sustainable travel, especially for short journeys.
"And in an environment of tighter budgets and greater local flexibility, the Government is determined to reduce bureaucracy and make local transport funding more efficient.
“That is why we intend to pool the myriad of centrally funded local transport grants, to create fewer but larger funding streams, largely formula based, and a new Local Sustainable Transport Fund."
Click here to read the full road.cc report.
In relation to Mike from Colan and his comments, at dbda we have also endeavoured to tailor our safer cycling education material to suit Bikeability and National Standards as there is no point in once again the wheel being reinvented, particularly in these times of austerity. We have however not had a great deal of encouragement from those in charge to use the Bikeability logo on our material. Our resources are widely used by RSUs across the country. Perhaps the new austerity measures and the ‘wind of change’ will lead to change for the good.
Bill Smith (dbda ltd.), Glasgow
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Update from my earlier “prophet of doom”; The DfT CSR document includes the following:
” A small proportion of the fund will be allocated to provide continued funding for the successful Bikeability scheme, which offers high quality cycle training for young people.” There will be a bidding process, details to follow.
Honor Byford
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I have yet to read anything from the DfT that confirms this report that Bikeability funding will be ring-fenced. In fact, this runs contrary to Government public statements today that there will not be ring-fenced funding rather there will be one pot for all to bid to and that they are looking for fewer, larger integrated schemes to be funded from this source. Which doesn’t sound at all like ring fenced funding for Bikeability training. I would urge caution and not to raise false hopes until we know more directly from the DfT, in writing.
Honor Byford
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As a company we have found it very difficult to understand how this scheme is run. It does seem very much like a closed shop to us, as we have tried various ways in the past to introduce our reflective products to them. Cycle England did own all the merchadising rights and as a company we were warned off using the Bikeability logo even though we only used it on products when asked by Road Safety Officers. Perhaps now things are changing, things may become more transparent and we may stand a chance of perhaps at least being able to introduce our products to them!!
Mike Hancox, Colan Ltd Warwick
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