Cycling UK and ECF to work together

Cycling UK has become the ECF’s latest new member as it looks to work with similar organisations in other countries, with the aim of getting millions more people cycling.

In the past, Cycling UK and ECF worked collaboratively on issues such as direct vision standards for lorries which directly led to changes in safety standards to dramatically reduce the dangers of lorries to pedestrians in London. Lorries must now achieve a minimum standard in how much an HGV driver can see directly through their cab windows, with minimum requirements increasing from 2024.

Additionally, ECF supported the Cycling UK-led Zero Stars for Eurostar campaign in 2015. This resulted in Eurostar scrapping controversial plans to make cyclists dismantle and box up their bikes to travel. The resounding victory was welcomed by cyclists across Europe.

Looking forward, Cycling UK hopes to work with ECF on various issues including the regulation on autonomous vehicles to ensure the safety of cyclists. It is important that the government proceeds with extreme caution as driverless vehicles enter our roads, and working with ECF to ensure this happens will be beneficial.

Similarly, the regulation of e-scooters and other micro-mobility vehicles is an ongoing issue which Cycling UK hopes to work with ECF on in the future.

These points of concern will arise in the upcoming UK Government’s Transport Bill.

While leaving ECF in 2016 enabled Cycling UK to fund increased campaigning across the whole of the UK and has resulted in successes such as the recent changes to the Highway Code and UK-wide campaigning such as the recent local election campaign, Cycling UK now looks forward to working with the non-profit association once again.

Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK’s chief executive, said: “Cycling UK and ECF have a rich history of working together to deliver real meaningful change and benefit to cycling and for people who want to cycle across the European continent.

“While the UK has now left the EU, to paraphrase John Donne, no organisation is an island. We are still part of the European continent and there are plenty of opportunities and important collaborative work the ECF and Cycling UK can do together, and I’m pleased that we’re now in a position to rejoin the European cycling community and will continue working together.”

Sarah Mitchell will speak at ECF’s annual flagship event, the Velo-City conference in Ljubljana on 15 June 2022. The panel discussion will explore how advocates are contributing to building programmes and initiatives to expand the acceptance for positive change in cities.

Jill Warren, chief executive officer of European Cyclists’ Federation, commented: “I am delighted Cycling UK has rejoined ECF as a full member. The entire ECF community looks forward to closer co-operation with Cycling UK for the benefit of our respective stakeholders on advocacy, knowledge exchange, best practice and thought leadership.”

Like Cycling UK, all ECF members are membership-based organisations which share a passion for cycling for transport and leisure.

The renewed membership will heighten opportunities for joint campaigning to amplify messages similar to the recent collaborative lobbying at COP26 in 2021.