We Need Different Solutions to Permanently Switch Journeys from Cars to Bikes
Not so long ago we were imagining a future in which a minority of people owned cars. We would hire them when we needed them and rely on efficient public transport, bikes or walking for the rest. In reality, public opinion never quite caught up with this vision.
Now we are faced with a situation where the Covid-19 pandemic has made us even more attached to our own cars and may have set back the cause of sustainable transport. What action is needed to seize back the initiative? First, let’s try to understand where we are and why.
The most recent RAC annual report on Motoring found that the percentage of people who regard their car as ‘essential’ is at an 18-year high of 57%. There was also a marked increase in the number of people who said they wouldn’t use public transport even if services improved.
This presents a complicated picture when it comes to planning sustainable transport networks. This is emphasised by looking at travel patterns before the most recent lockdown. Cycling trips fell significantly below pre-pandemic levels in October. Meanwhile passenger numbers were around 30% of normal demand on rail, and 60% on buses. Car use had risen to around 90% of pre-pandemic levels even though many people were still working from home.
Increasing Cycle Use is Mainly a Safety Issue
The figures indicate that there’s a real danger of losing the momentum that was building towards greater use of cycling and walking. The reasons are not hard to understand. In short, roads have become busy once again. We know that feeling safe is the most influential factor in deciding whether people choose to cycle. Pop-up and temporary cycle routes don’t always feel safe enough when traffic levels are anything like normal.
There is now an urgent challenge to devise networks that make it easy and safe for more people to choose cycling or walking for some or all of their journeys. Temporary solutions fulfilled the purpose of giving people more transport options to avoid crowded public transport during the pandemic. But to encourage the trend towards sustainable transport the solutions we need must be different and better planned.
Innovative approaches that will make a lasting difference to how people travel call for multi-modal transport expertise and creativity. These are both areas where Osborne has an excellent track record of bringing together diverse expertise to deliver better outcomes for our customers and the travelling public.
