Olympics star Boardman says Britain is failing cycling

Former Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman says Britain is still failing to fully embrace cycling despite having so many sporting successes on two wheels.

Britain can boast Tour de France and Olympic triumphs, said Wirral-born Boardman who is helping launch British Cycling's ChooseCycling manifesto today.

Yet the country has still not truly embedded cycling into everyday culture, said Boardman who is now British Cycling's policy adviser.

His thoughts came as British Cycling published Cambridge University research which showed that there would be NHS savings of at least #250 million a year if 10% of trips in England and Wales were made by bike.

The 10-point manifesto seeks ways to get cycling in Britain at the levels seen in the Netherlands and Denmark.

British Cycling says opportunities to bring cycling more to the fore include getting the Government to raise its spending on cycling from the equivalent of #2 a head to #10 and tackling the dangers posed to cyclists by lorries.

British Cycling believes that there is now an opportunity to transform cycling given the right political will at national and local level.

Commission by British Cycling, the Cambridge University research said that If people made just one in 10 trips by bike, Britons could gain the equivalent of almost one million extra healthy years of life over the next decade,.

Also, if people replaced just five minutes of the 36 minutes they spend each day in the car with cycling, there would be an almost 5% annual reduction in the health burden from inactivity-related illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers.

If 10% of trips in England and Wales were made by bike, the savings to the NHS of the top inactivity-related illnesses would be at least #250 million per year.

After today's manifesto launch at Westminster Chris Boardman will be giving evidence on cycling safety to the House of Commons Transport Committee.

Safety has been under the spotlight of late following the tragic events in London last autumn when six cyclists were killed on the roads in a two-week period.

Meanwhile, the Local Government Association (LGA) said today that cycling safety could be improved if councils were given powers to target drivers putting cyclists at risk by breaking moving traffic laws.

The LGA called on the Government to implement Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 to allow councils to protect cyclists by enforcing cycle lanes and cracking down on illegal U-turns and box junction offences.

The association said Transport for London had been using similar powers for years - with research showing a 50% drop in offences - but added that police outside the capital had admitted to not having the resources to enforce them.

Councils would use the power to improve safety by targeting notoriously congested junctions or stretches of road. This would be publicised and clearly sign-posted with warning letters initially issued to raise awareness while persistent offenders would end up with a fine.

Most offences could be enforced by existing CCTV cameras but traffic officers could also issue fixed penalty notices.

It is a proposal backed by cycling groups and key cities including Liverpool.