Wednesday 8 July 2009

West Lothian Council's dismal cycle investment

A new survey by Spokes, the Lothians cycle campaign, reveals West Lothian Council spends a shocking 23p per head of population to encourage bike use compared to a national average of £2.54! Almost the lowest in Scotland - only East Ayreshire invests less in cycling.

If you think this isn't good enough, please write to Martyn Day, the West Lothian Transport Convener to express your opinion and ask for more investment.

Councillor Day's email: Martyn.Day@westlothian.gov.uk

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I sent this...
Mr Day

I am a cyclist, not a particularly fast or competitive one , but I am a cyclist none the less, This is since April of 2008 when overnight something changed within me.
I have cycled to and from work using my car only 3 times in all that time. Come health or illness,rain or shine, even snow ...I am out there cycling, doing my bit by not using my car. Don't get me wrong I am not being entirely selfless here . I am cycling for many reasons not all of them to do with saving the planet but are more to do with improving my fitness and quality of life and to ensure I am around long enough to enjoy my young and expanding family. The family's second car is currently in the driveway where it has sat untouched and unloved for at least 6 months ,even my beloved motorcycle has remained sorned and under cover in the garage .

Until Christmas I had been happy with the knowledge that for once my chosen device of transport,sport,fun and adventure has no detrimental impact on anything .Its fast enough, it takes up little space on the road , Its done wonders for my fitness and feeling of well being and avoids congestion and above all it uses no fuel and creates no pollution. Despite all these great and wonderful things There was something that wasn't quite right ...It took a while to find out what it was but when I did I was overjoyed. What was this thing I found? It was the existence of other people like me. Fellow cyclists all spending their spare time and money on this thing, all passionate about what they do. Some with a care for the environment, doing there thing to reduce our carbon footprint, others are similar to me and do it for the great feeling and the multitude of other health benefits and then there are those with an insatiable need to improve within their sport , to get faster , fitter , stronger and to compete and to win.

I know it would be shortsighted of me to think that everyone else on the planet would share the feelings that myself and fellow cyclists have but I really do hope that you can understand my disappointment to read that you don't seem to care at all. Actually to say you dint care at all would be wrong . You care enough to have spent a whole 23pence per head of population! . It makes me want to weep it really does. Its simply not good enough and I would like to see this increased. I believe the national average is around £2.52...thats eleven times what you've spent.

I know that you will have your reasons for this level of investment and I wait with interest to hear what they are.


yours with a terrible sense of disappointment

Andrew Richards

Matthew Ball said...

Top work Andy!