S08067                                                                                               16 June  2008

SUPPORT BIKE TO WORK WEEK

This is Bike to Work Week and Stafford’s Labour MP David Kidney is asking employers and workers to give cycling a try.

David Kidney will be on his bike on Friday as he cycles to Stafford College to help promote its Bike to College Day. He says there are plenty of positives in supporting cycling:

“Cycling is a cheap way of getting about and a cheap way of exercising. Of course there are important issues of safety and security, but these can be addressed through adequate training and secure parking. For employers, there is an additional responsibility of helping workers who cycle to work to have access to a changing room – and a shower if possible.

“As a Parliament we encourage people to cycle to work. Government has worked with the cycle industry to develop the “Cycle to Work” scheme which takes advantage of a tax exemption to provide bikes for staff to cycle to work. There is also  an “Essential guide to Travel Planning” available to employers.

“We also support cycling England with £140 million over 3 years to increase levels of cycling. This money includes support for the Cycle Demonstration Towns that I have mentioned before. The new training scheme “Bikeability” is helping to give the next generation of cyclists the skills and confidence to ride their bikes safely on today’s roads.

“We also provide guidance to local authorities on the design of safe cycling infrastructure.

“I hope that more and more people will give thought to cycling to work. They will contribute to reducing congestion on our roads, harmful emissions into our air and the feared explosion of obesity in our society”.

ENDS