We need to send more children to school by bike

I strongly believe we should be sending more children to school by bicycle, both for the environmental and health benefits. We should also be promoting responsible cycling as we do responsible driving or responsible drinking. Well trained cyclists are perfectly able to cycle slowly when the occasion demands. That's why I took part in a protest of school teachers, parents, children and Councillors to publicise the fact that it is virtually impossible to cycle across Hampstead Heath and those that try are liable to be fined. This is not about displacing pedestrians - it's about sharing some paths for the benefit of all, but especially it's about getting more schoolchildren to school on bikes rather than by car. This autumn there will be a major consultation on how we use the Heath and I certainly hope we'll find a way to share the footpaths between pedestrians and cyclists better than we do today.