More affordable access to bikes and helping cyclists feel safer on the road will be the key to get more Glasgow residents on their bike, a charity has warned.
Cycling UK, whose mission is to help millions of people cycle across the country while offering impartial advice, guides, reviews and inspiration, says it is important that both children and their parents feel confident enough to cycle on the road.
It comes after Glasgow City Council recently approved its “travel behaviour strategy” which encourages people to rely less on private cars while promoting the Glasgow Transport and Active Travel plans.
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The local authority is also looking to achieve its net zero carbon emissions and a minimum reduction of 30% in car kilometres travelled by 2030.
Jim Densham, Cycling UK’s campaigns and policy manager in Scotland, has praised the work of the council so far in its dedication to develop 160 miles of new cycle lanes but says it is important to ensure people have the right skills to use them.
Mr Densham said: “Some of the work that we do at Cycling UK is to help people find and afford access to a bike.
“There are also projects to help children have new bikes, with a subscription so as they grow they can get a new bike without having to fork out the cost of a new one each time.
“We know children have bike ability and training in school but we would like to see primary school children able to access bike ability to give them the skills they need to ride on the road.
“There are also adults who want to get more active, so giving them the skills to ride a bike is something that Cycling UK is also involved in.”
The organisation also believes that the marketing campaign, led by the council, would be important and help people understand what active travel routes are available to them.
Mr Densham continued: “That’s the thing people see on the ground and we definitely need that and safe space for people to cycle but that is just one part of the package in a way.
“When it comes to getting people to cycle we know that the best projects that really help people to cycle are the ones that spend money on infrastructure and also have programmes that help people get on bikes.
“A marketing strategy, led by the council, would be a good thing to help people understand what options there are to promote infrastructure to encourage people to cycle.
“There is always more councils can do to encourage more people to cycle and we would certainly like to see much more work going on to create the cycle lanes - that’s what people see first and it's what they need in order to cycle.”
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “Road safety is the number one reason given by people who are deterred from cycling on a regular basis and so this concern must be addressed if active travel is to become the preferred choice for everyday journeys in Glasgow.
“The City Network for active travel is therefore a major part of our plans to increase walking, wheeling and cycling in the city and will eventually introduce safer, segregated cycling infrastructure all across the city.
“But it is one part of a broader transport strategy that aims to support a shift to more sustainable forms of transport as a way to tackle carbon emissions and help address inequalities in travel.
“Schemes such as our liveable neighbourhoods project will help to make active travel a more attractive option in local communities across the city and our aim to introduce a 20mph speed limit will help to improve road safety for all road users.
“The Travel Behaviour Change Strategy is about building confidence among those who wish to travel more actively and highlighting the many benefits of walking, wheeling and cycling.”
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