How Can We Encourage People to Cycle More?
Before we begin explaining the ways in which we can encourage cycling, we first need to discuss why we would want more people to cycle. There are many reasons why cycling trumps over other forms of transport and these include:
Exercise: People are more unfit now than they ever have been in the past. This is largely due to an increase in sedentary lifestyles, coupled with the availability of easy to produce and in expensive fatty foods. Cycling, as part of a daily routine, can help to maintain overall health. This has many benefits, including a lowered incidence of depression and lower cholesterol.
Pollution: clearly, we have too many cars on the roads at present, and this is causing increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, which is contributing to global warming. Furthermore, we cannot continue with the use of fossil fuels, which are quickly depleting. We need either to find alternative energy sources, or use an alternative means of transport.
These two issues are the main reasons people give for encouraging greater use of cycling as a means of transportation. The problem now is how to encourage people to cycle more.
Increase the Number of Facilities Available for Cyclists
Cyclists need to feel safe on the roads, and unfortunately, the lack of cycle routes in our city centres is putting many people off. We need to encourage cycling by increasing the number of cycle routes, and having these routes strategically placed as far away from traffic as possible.
Another problem that many cyclists face is theft. Bikes can be very expensive. The cheapest bikes that you can buy cost around £100, but the average bike is more akin to £500. Clearly, if people are cycling regularly they will spend a little more on their bikes, to ensure they buy a clean, comfortable, and easy rider. This means that bikes can be extremely valuable, and therefore, people will want to ensure that their bikes are safe and secure.
Cycle shelters afford cyclists safe areas to store their bikes. If businesses, schools, supermarkets, shopping centres, and various other establishments, were to provide a greater number of cycle shelters, more people would choose their bikes as their primary source of transportation for short trips. Modern cycle shelters can be fitted with locking doors (so on a business premises, for example, only the employees that ride their bikes to work can have access to the shelter), can be fitted with CCTV, and have a number of other anti-theft and anti-vandal features.
Cycling Proficiency Testing
Many people who would potentially cycle as part of their commute do not do so because they do not have the skills. Cycling Proficiency tests can help to bring these people up to speed, and help them to understand how traffic works in the UK. This can help them to build the confidence they need to be able to cycle comfortably on the country's roads.
Exercise: People are more unfit now than they ever have been in the past. This is largely due to an increase in sedentary lifestyles, coupled with the availability of easy to produce and in expensive fatty foods. Cycling, as part of a daily routine, can help to maintain overall health. This has many benefits, including a lowered incidence of depression and lower cholesterol.
Pollution: clearly, we have too many cars on the roads at present, and this is causing increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, which is contributing to global warming. Furthermore, we cannot continue with the use of fossil fuels, which are quickly depleting. We need either to find alternative energy sources, or use an alternative means of transport.
These two issues are the main reasons people give for encouraging greater use of cycling as a means of transportation. The problem now is how to encourage people to cycle more.
Increase the Number of Facilities Available for Cyclists
Cyclists need to feel safe on the roads, and unfortunately, the lack of cycle routes in our city centres is putting many people off. We need to encourage cycling by increasing the number of cycle routes, and having these routes strategically placed as far away from traffic as possible.
Another problem that many cyclists face is theft. Bikes can be very expensive. The cheapest bikes that you can buy cost around £100, but the average bike is more akin to £500. Clearly, if people are cycling regularly they will spend a little more on their bikes, to ensure they buy a clean, comfortable, and easy rider. This means that bikes can be extremely valuable, and therefore, people will want to ensure that their bikes are safe and secure.
Cycle shelters afford cyclists safe areas to store their bikes. If businesses, schools, supermarkets, shopping centres, and various other establishments, were to provide a greater number of cycle shelters, more people would choose their bikes as their primary source of transportation for short trips. Modern cycle shelters can be fitted with locking doors (so on a business premises, for example, only the employees that ride their bikes to work can have access to the shelter), can be fitted with CCTV, and have a number of other anti-theft and anti-vandal features.
Cycling Proficiency Testing
Many people who would potentially cycle as part of their commute do not do so because they do not have the skills. Cycling Proficiency tests can help to bring these people up to speed, and help them to understand how traffic works in the UK. This can help them to build the confidence they need to be able to cycle comfortably on the country's roads.
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