Fewer cyclists in Worksop and Retford than before pandemic

A cycling charity has now called for greater funding for environmentally-friendly travel as cycling rates remain below pre-pandemic levels across England.

The Active Lives Survey from Sport England is used to assess how much exercise people are getting across the country.

Figures from the survey, compiled by the Department for Transport, show 9.5 per cent of people in Bassetlaw district were cycling at least once a month in the year to November 2022, down from 14.9 per cent in 2019.

In Nottinghamshire, 11.5 per cent of people were cycling at least once a month in the year to November 2022, down from 16.3 per cent in 2019.

Across England, 16.1 per cent of people said they biked once a month in 2019. This has since fallen to 13.1 per cent.

Cycling UK, which campaigns for better access to cycling, called the figures disheartening, especially given a spike at the height of the coronavirus pandemic when fewer cars were on the road.

Duncan Dollimore, charity head of campaigns, said: “This should be a wake-up call for a government that’s slashed dedicated funding for cycling and walking.”

Provisional DfT data shows 5 per cent fewer bikes on the road in June 2023 than a year before.

Mr Dollimore said: “Multiple government policies recognise the carbon reduction, public health, air pollution and economic benefits which flow from more people cycling and walking, particularly for short journeys.”

According to the Active Lives Survey, much of the dip in cycling across England has come from fewer people cycling for leisure – 13.1 per cent did so at least once a month in 2019, compared with 9.2 per cent last year.

Bassetlaw saw a drop over the same period, from 12.9 per cent to 7.6 per cent, while Nottinghamshire’s figures dropped from 13.9 per cent to 8.8 per cent.

A DfT spokesman said:“Overall, the numbers of people choosing to walk or cycle increasing over the past year has returned to pre-pandemic levels and we are well on the way to half of all short journeys in towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030. This has been supported by our investment of more than £3 billion into walking and cycling to 2025.”