The number of cycling casualties rose by 50 per cent between 2006 and 2011, says a recent London Assembly’s transport committee report.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson explained that “major new investment in cycling,” will be released next year.
In the report, figures stated that there were 3,322 injuries in 2001. 444 of these injuries were serious and 21 of them were fatal.
In 2012/13 less than 1 per cent of TfL’s budget was spent on cycling. Other councils, such as Edinburgh’s, will spend 5 per cent of it’s transport budget on cycling in the coming years.
The recent report also suggested cycling proficiency classes in schools. Caroline Pidgeon, from the transport committee explained to the BBC: “A more ambitious vision backed by real political will and safer conditions could help London reach the high levels of cycling seen in other European capitals.”
While cycling casualties have increased, so have the amount of people cycling on London’s roads. There has been an estimated rise of more than 170 per cent in the capital in the past 11 years.
With a significant increase in cyclists it follows that funding in this department should also increase.
Picture: Getty
