I would also suggest that there a simply a lot more cars on the road nowadays than there used to be, making cycling without dedicated infrastructure less safe on that basis alone (look at the scene starting at 1:40). Also note the “little enthusiasm” “motorists” have for living in the city with the highest number of bicycles per capita “in the Empire”.

Steve, I am hopeful that Phil Mauger will be pragmatic enough to see how cheaply some quick wins for cycling can save roading building and maintenance costs. This may keep the momentum going as the cycleway network develops. And can he offer practical advice to get it quickly implemented ?

I too learnt to drive as you did Errol. You drove like it was your family in the car coming toward you, on the bike at the intersection, walking out to cross the road. Who drives like that now ? No amount of testing or even driver eduction of the rules will change the ‘might and the majority is right’ mentality on our roads these days. We have lost a generation of kids learning to ride bikes; they grow up learning to drive powerful, air-bagged vehicles as teenagers where speed is everything, other people don’t matter, and invincibility is the order of the day. How are you going to get those who would like to ride a bike on to the roads when all that separates them from that sort of distracted and impatient traffic is a white line ? Please share your thoughts.