'My Kids Are Too Scared to Cycle Now'

The gulf preventing the UK from becoming a cycle-friendly country is well-illustrated by an opinion piece by Karen Murphy (a Teaching Assistant in Shoreham-by-Sea). She describes the family's cycle riding experiences at the time of the Covid19 pandemic and subsequently (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/03/cycling-dangerous-children-pandemic-closed-lanes-tacks-road). Murphy notes that, at the time of the pandemic, Shoreham-by-Sea put in a brand new cycle lane. This separated cyclists from cars. Even then, some people left tacks on the cycle lane, seemingly to cause punctures. In spite of this, the effects were initially liberating. Murphy and her children cycled to local shops and the library. They also cycled for exercise and simply to explore. The cycle lane was ripped out 2 months later, with the council citing opposition to it and 'road congestion'. Murphy thinks it sad that her kids are now too scared to cycle. One can only agree with her. Cyclists can't 'live', with UK roads in their current motor vehicle-dominated state. The finances now allocated to change the situation, are wholly inadequate!