Get out on Bike Week, but we need serious investment – Cllr Stephen Dunlop

At the start of Bike Week, Cllr Stephen Dunlop has called for proper investment in active travel.

“This year’s Bike Week is all about you and local community, and encouraging as many people as possible to get out and enjoy their community on their bikes. It is themed around imagining how our local communities could be improved if everyone in it used their bikes more.

“Whilst this initiative is entirely welcome, and I and my family are using this week to travel around Bangor on our bikes, there needs to be serious investment in active travel in Northern Ireland.

“It is shameful that we have no Cycling Strategy, no Active Travel Strategy, and Northern Ireland has spent a disgracefully low £2 per person each year on active travel. The pandemic was a real missed opportunity to change our travel networks. After we secured the passage of the Climate Bill, this will soon change; however, we need ambitious targets and joined up approaches between Department for Infrastructure, local councils and local communities.

Imagine what our local areas would be if everything we needed was within 15 or 20 minutes by walking or cycling, and we didn’t rely on the private car!”

ENDS