This week saw the launch of 'Bike Club', a government-backed scheme aimed to reawaken cycling as a means of travel for children. The project was launched by Transport Minister Sadiq Khan "...to put cycling at the very heart of transport planning for the 21st century".
Cycling England, who is funding Bike Club, has seen their government budget more than double recently. Kahn believes that this will help promote cycling as a leading travel habit for our children and future generations, boosting health, reducing car use and travel costs, and most importantly improving quality of life.
Sarah Troke, Bike Club's national manager said, "We are very excited about the opportunities we have been given to make a real difference in young people's lives. Cycling offers an ideal way for children to learn about a range of issues, like discovery of their outdoor environment and the rewards of planning activities with their peers."
Many cycle campaigners consider the children targeted by the scheme as a 'lost generation' - those who never ride to school and whose parents don't even own a bicycle. It is hoped that the introduction of Bike Club will help to tackle a range of problems ranging from lack of physical activity to public transport that does not meet their needs, and also independence.
However, critics note the even those UK children who do enjoy riding a bike tend to give it up to other activities as their teenage years approach. In Europe it may be fairly common for children to ride to school, however here in the UK, only 1% of pupils ride to primary school and 2% ride to secondary school. Cycling England considers this level of engagenment as 'pathetic'.
There is also some concern about the success of such a scheme in today's anti-cycling culture, in which children are often made more aware of the dangers of cycling than the potential benefits; some are even banned from arriving at school because of this. The government's hope is that projects such as Bike Club can kick-start a new biking culture.
The Guardian
