On your bike

The Neilston, Uplawmoor and Newton Mearns North representative is inviting residents to have their say on what improvements are needed in the local area to encourage more people onto their bikes.

The drive is part of a Holyrood pledge to ensure that 10 per cent of journeys are made by bicycle by 2020 – although recent figures show a much lower one to two per cent.

Councillor Gilbert told The Extra: “The transport minister is consulting on delivering better cycling facilities and prompting cycling for everyday travel to a wider audience.

“Every day I see cyclists on our roads throughout East Renfreshire, and as a member of the Scottish Accident Prevention Council I would welcome comments from cyclists on how roads and facilities can be improved and developed to benefit cyclists.”

Transport minister Keith Brown has made plans to visit the Netherlands for advice, as Amsterdam reaches cycling rates of 60 per cent.

But, according to cycle campaigners, the first step towards achieving the target is increasing investment in bike routes and facilities – with some campaigners calling for five per cent of the transport budget.

Mr Brown has made no promise for a dedicated five per cent, commenting that the government focus should be on roads projects – in particular, motorways between each city.

However, an announcement was made in January that £3.9 million of an additional £21 million transport investment would be used to enhance the cycling infrastructure – including £400,000 spent on increasing cycle parking at schools.

What do you think? And is the problem better or worse in Glasgow than in East Renfrewshire? Share your thoughts by emailing Gillian (link above).