In the news: New cycling test ‘for 21st century’

A new government-backed scheme to teach British schoolchildren how to stay safe when cycling on the road has been launched today. The Bikeability scheme, using £10 million worth of funds, will replace the old cycling proficiency test and be offered to England’s ten-year-old schoolchildren. The scheme is designed to promote the health and environmental benefits of cycling and will take children on to the roads to learn cycling skills, rather than just practicing in a school playground.

By 2009 the award’s organisers Cycling England hope that half of all year six pupils in England will be taking part in the scheme, which will see them awarded a badge, booklet, certificate and a letter to parents. Speaking today, Phillip Darnton, the chair of Cycling England, said: “What we’re doing now is giving children the competence - if you like, cycling proficiency for the 21st century.

“[We are] taking children on to the road, giving them road skills so that they will be able to ride to their schools every morning.” He added on the Today programme: “It’s about a real sense in which government says cycling has a role to play in the totality of our society.” However, Mr Darnton recognised that some parents were “very, very anxious” about society generally, and had particular concerns about allowing their children to cycle on busy roads.

But Conservative MP Anthony Steen has called for all cyclists, not just schoolchildren, to be tested before being allowed to cycle on the road. He told the same programme that irresponsible cyclists, other road users and inadequate roads often made cycling too dangerous.

“I used to be a ten-mile-a-day man,” he said. “I used to cycle from my home to the House of Commons. It’s now got far too dangerous. “Cyclists pass red lights, they shout and scream at you, they cycle with no traffic regard at all, they don’t have lights on at night, they cycle on pavements and there needs to be some standards for cyclists.” Today’s launch follows a trial of 5,000 children in Aylesbury, Brighton, Darlington, Derby, Exeter and Lanchester, County Durham.