This time last year, we were looking forward to the implementation of changes to the Highway Code primarily aimed at making the streets safer for people riding bikes, or getting around by foot – and unsurprisingly, that’s one of the themes highlighted in our end-of-year round-up of some of the big stories, for better or worse, that we have covered here on road.cc from an active travel campaigning point of view.
Duncan Dollimore, head of campaigns at Cycling UK, told road.cc shortly before the changes to the Highway Code came into effect that the DfT should have communicated the changes itself ahead of them coming into effect, “with simple, accurate and memorable messages.” According to the DfT, Active Travel England “will be responsible for driving up the standards of cycling and walking infrastructure and managing the national active travel budget, awarding funding for projects that improve both health and air quality.”
Given that such issues are often raised in parliamentary questions – and shut down by DfT ministers whose replies consistently underline that the government has no plans to introduce such laws, one can only imagine the reception Shapps’ remarks, as reported by the Daily Mail, must have caused within his own department.
“From a policy perspective I have been assured by the Department of Transport, as the Transport Secretary has reiterated to the press, that he has no plans to introduce number plates for bicycles or compulsory insurance,” she added.