In recent years, national and regional commitments to a transition towards sustainable transportation have led to a heightened emphasis on active mobility and shared micro-mobility in the UK. Walking and pedal cycling are the two predominant types of active mobility, which is defined as traveling by non-motorized means or via vehicles that require active physical exertion. Micro-mobility, on the other hand, is a term that refers to lightweight vehicles like bikes, e-bikes, scooters, e-scooters, and in some cases mopeds.
Safety concerns hamper cycling uptake
While cycling saw an increase in popularity during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the demand for active mobility rose due to the need for social distancing, the frequency of cycling appeared to decline in 2021. The UK is among countries in Europe with the lowest share of residents that cycle as a primary mode of transport for short journeys. A similar trend is visible among school children. 45 percent of pupils in England and 43 percent of pupils in Scotland mainly walk to get to school as compared to the three percent of pupils in England and five percent of pupils in Scotland who cycle. In Wales and Northern Ireland, cycling does not make the list of pupils’ typical modes of travel to secondary school.One reason that may partially explain the low popularity of cycling is the relatively large share of the population that feels unsafe when cycling as opposed to the perception of safety when walking. In 2021, reported pedal cyclist and pedestrian casualties in Great Britain were 16,458 and 16,654, respectively. While these figures show comparable levels of casualties among both modes, they imply a much higher frequency of road casualties among cyclists due to the lower modal share of cycling as compared to walking. Increasing traffic-free cycle routes, and more sign posted cycle routes are among the suggestions made by residents in the UK to encourage more cycling.
