It is time to seize the cycling momentum in Scotland - leader comment

They are figures which will come as no surprise to anyone out and about in recent weeks.

Bike use has increased fivefold in Scotland while those opting to jump in the car has fallen.

The latest data comes from a survey in May and compares cycle activity statistics with the year before. As lockdown discouraged people from using public transport and quieter roads made two wheels more attractive, Cycling Scotland’s study found that 3.44% of all journeys were made by bicycles, up from 0.67% in May 2019.

So not huge numbers perhaps, but nonetheless significant.

The challenge is how to ensure the pedal power momentum is sustained and the increase in cycle use does not disappear as quickly as it emerged as restrictions are eased and the country gets back to normal.

Last week, the Scottish Government announced that almost all of its £30 million fund for pop-up bike lanes and projects to create space for walking and cycling had been allocated.

Investment like this is key as one of the main reasons for people ditching the bike and getting back in their cars will be, particularly in the likes of Edinburgh city centre, safety.

The plethora of new cycle schemes are to be welcomed then, provided they are developed sensitively and keep the interests of business and communities in mind.

The Covid crisis should not be used as an excuse to simply force through controversial measures which solve one problem only to create a traffic snarl-up elsewhere.

But it does feel like a big opportunity exists at the moment, and one which may not be there for very long.

If we are aiming for a greener, healthier, sustainable Scotland - and most people surely are - then it makes sense to encourage as many people as possible to treat cycling as the new normal.

For that the roads need to be safe, the experience has to be pleasant (or at least as much as it can be in the Scottish weather), and it has to be affordable and accessible to all.

Lockdown has demonstrated that the enthusiasm for cycling is there.

Indeed many people may even have found themselves getting on a bike for the first time since childhood. Work has to happen now to ensure all those new cycles acquired in the last few months do not simply go straight into the shed never to be seen again,