Plans for a national cycle training standard across Wales were announced today in a bid to improve safety and the take-up of cycling amongst children and young people.
At a Walking and Cycling and Conference in Cardiff, the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, Jane Davidson, said the Welsh Assembly Government would be investing £250,000 to train more than 100 instructors to teach the new standards across Wales. The aim is to increase the number of qualified instructors that can deliver cycle training to a consistent standard that prepares children and adults to cycle on today’s roads.
Ms Davidson said: “The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to getting more people to cycle – as a form of transport; as a means of becoming more physically active; and as a way of getting out and enjoying our countryside. We all need to reduce our carbon footprint, and cycling can help to make a real difference here – especially since the majority of car journeys are less than 5 miles long. With the cost of motoring on the rise, cycling is a cheap, healthy, and sustainable means of transport. So I’m delighted to announce today this new initiative which the Assembly Government is funding this year to encourage more people to cycle.”
The Cycle Training National Standards have already been adopted by a small number of local authorities in Wales, but the new money and the partnership with CTC - the UK’s national cyclists' organisation - will help ensure coverage across Wales. Working with the CTC Charitable Trust and the Sports Council, the £250,000 funding over three years will be used to get the National Standards adopted across Wales alongside the successful Bikeability brand.
