24 April 2012

Jon Snow Criticises Government For 'No Cycling Leadership'

Jon Snow, presenter on Channel 4 News, has told MPs there is “no leadership from the state" on cycle safety.

Mr Snow and Times newspaper editor James Harding called on MPs to promote cycling and provide more funding to make roads for safer for cyclists.

Mr Harding has led a campaign to make roads safe for cyclists after Times journalist Mary Bowers was knocked off her bike and left in a coma.

Mr Harding has said every city should have a cycling commissioner and there should be a cross-departmental cycling representative who would promote cycling in government.

Reporter Ms Bowers, who crashed with a lorry last November, has not yet regained full consciousness, Mr Harding told the committee. The newspaper editor said everyone in the newsroom had been "emotionally affected" by Ms Bowers' accident.

"The best way to fix these problems is to listen to cyclists... there's no-one in the room to look out for cyclists and we need that in DfT (Department for Transport)."

However cycling minister Norman Baker said the government had "already made a lot progress" before the Times' campaign was launched.

But Mr Snow told MPs: "There is paint on the road, which is not infrastructure. Cycling is good for the economy, cycling is good for the environment, cycling is good for individual health - all of which save the exchequer money and yet the exchequer refuses to spend money.

"The fact is there has been no leadership from the state at all on cycling."

(H)