Cyclists are less confident navigating traffic than before, says survey

Micromobility operator Beryl has released the results of its annual survey of its UK users, which indicates that cyclists are less confident navigating traffic than they were during the pandemic.

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic saw increased volumes of cyclists, as many travellers sought to avoid crowded public transport. Combined with new, pop-up cycle lanes and lower levels of motorised traffic, many were encouraged onto the saddle, spurred by a new confidence to cycle in districts once perceived as being dangerous or inaccessible. In what has been dubbed, the ‘Great bicycle boom of 2020’, ridership surged across Europe. This led to a widespread debate over the longevity of this rise in active travel and the extent to which the trend would, and could, be extended as lockdown conditions were eased.

Beryl’s survey (conducted with 1,000 people signed up to the operator’s services in the UK locations of Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Hereford, Norwich, Watford and the Isle of Wight) suggests that confidence is already waning. This was found to be particularly the case amongst female cyclists - 52% of whom said they felt ‘confident’ or ‘very confident’ in 2020, compared to just 38% this year. The fact that female cyclists feel unsafe on roads is also having a detrimental impact on reducing car usage, according to the report. Compared to pre-lockdown levels, 30% of men said that they had reduced their car use, compared to 26% of women.

Increasing travellers’ confidence will be critical for encouraging sustainable alternatives to private vehicles. Indeed, we are already seeing a resurgence in traffic - in some cases to volumes that are higher than ever before. As Beryl’s survey - and previous research - has illustrated, this will require maintaining momentum behind building, improving and maintaining active travel infrastructure.

This article first appeared on cittimagazine.com