However, it is interesting to note that it was the oil crisis of the mid-1970s that spurred the Dutch on to be probably the most cycle-friendly nation on the planet. Somehow, I feel this latest crisis will not be enough for us to diversify our transport network.
This article is titled, why businesses should be cycle-friendly, but there are hundreds of articles out there that spell this out, I know because my colleagues and I have written them before.
So instead, I want to turn the question around and ask, why shouldn't a business be cycle-friendly? To be honest, I can't think of a single reason why a business should not, at the bare minimum, be encouraging and enabling its workforce to cycle more. I believe five grand challenges can be solved with more cycling and active travel.
Climate change
This is the biggest issue of our time, and one that successive governments have failed to act upon. It's staggering that "transport produced 27% of the UK's total emissions in 2019. Of this, the majority (91%) came from road transport vehicles (111 MtCO2 e)." By diversifying the way people travel around, we can reduce our carbon output far more quickly and efficiently than by electrifying personal transport.
Local environment
Vehicles cause air pollution issues, not only through the tail-pipe emissions, but also through braking and tyre particles, which are so small they can enter the lungs and blood system. Shifting to electric vehicles will mitigate some of these issues, but not all. A shift to more cycling and active travel will go further and more cheaply than swapping to electric vehicles alone.
Health
Cycling is good for our health: that is a fact that cannot be ignored. Regular exercise and time spent outdoors boost our mental wellbeing, on top of the physical benefits of meeting the government's daily recommended exercise targets. By building exercise into a short commute to work, or to a local public transport interchange, we can increase the health of the workforce, boosting their productivity and reducing time lost to ill health.
Transport poverty
"For decades transport and planning policy has focused on the needs of motorists, and daily destinations have been planned on the assumption that everyone has access to a car," Sustrans reported in 2012, and in many parts of the UK, driving a car has become the only viable option for daily travel. By supporting cycling, employers can reach the best talent, whether they drive or not.
Congestion
Congestion cost the UK a staggering £6.9 billion in 2019. Even if we electrify every car on the road, potentially solving the problem of vehicle pollution, our roads will remain just as crowded. Cycle infrastructure is far more efficient at moving people than car infrastructure: moving as many as seven times more people in the same space.
If you want to find out how your business can become more cycle-friendly, visit Cycling UK's website, and take our free self-assessment.
