Cycling UK reacts to King’s Speech
In its initial reaction to the King’s Speech made today (Tuesday 07 November), charity Cycling UK expressed its disappointment at the missed opportunities of a speech intended to layout legislation “in the interests of future generations”.
Sarah McMonagle, Cycling UK’s director of external affairs, said:
“This was not a King’s Speech laying out legislation that will ‘continue to lead action on tackling climate change’.
“Faced with the triple whammy of climate, cost-of-living and a health crisis, today was an opportunity for the government to set out a plan to improve people’s options regarding how they travel locally – without always having to rely on their car. Sadly, this opportunity was completely missed.”
On the Automated Vehicle Bill, Sarah said:
“It is vital any new legislation for driverless vehicles has a clear focus on protecting, and not undermining, the safety of people who are walking or cycling.
“Currently driverless vehicles are not ready to mix safely with people walking or cycling. With the right regulation in place, driverless vehicles have the potential to improve road safety and the environment, whereas done badly they could put lives at risk.”
Notes to editors
- Cycling UK, the UK’s cycling charity, imagines a world where the streets are free of congestion and the air is clean to breathe, where parents encourage their children to cycle to school and everyone shares the exhilaration of being in the saddle. For more than 140 years, we’ve been making our streets safer, opening up new traffic free routes and inspiring more people to cycle more often.
Press contact information
For more information, please contact the national Cycling UK press office, or email publicity@cyclinguk.org. Out of hours, call 07584 271 300
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