Petrol price hike produces chain reaction

Published on 18/06/2012 02:02

Millions of extra bike journeys were made last year on the UK’s National Cycle Network, according to a new study.

Almost 500 million journeys were made by bike or on foot, with a third of cyclists saying they had swapped four wheels for two. Around 40 million more cycling trips were made during 2011 than the year before, an 18 per cent increase, taking the total to 256 million, said cycling charity Sustrans.

An estimated 3.3 million people used the national network during 2011, an increase of 300,000 over the previous year.

Rising petrol prices and higher fares were reasons persuading people to get on their bikes, although fitness was also a major motivation for women, said Sustrans.