Forty-Seven Per Cent

Cycling in Brighton & Hove has increased by 47% since 2000, so says the city council. That's impressive. It's good to have the statistic but it's easy to confirm anecdotally just by looking around you. Yip, there are many more cyclists about the city.

There are two factors at work here. The pull: the council has been developing cycling facilities for many years now - admittedly under the constant pressure of very active cycling pressure groups. And just recently the city was chosen as a National Exemplar Cycling Demonstration Town 2005 - 2008 (a bit of a mouthful) by the Dept. of Transport and will therefore have a £3 million pound cycling investment package to spend over the next three years.

The push: another statistic: in 1992/94 48% of 17-20 year olds had a driving licence; in 2004 that had fallen to 26%. The rising costs of learning to drive, and rise and rise in the size of student loans must account for a large part of this change.

What a shame then the Southern Rail is to enforce cycle restrictions on the London to Brighton service, banning bikes between 7am and 10am and between 4pm and 7pm on weekdays.

Admittedly folding bikes will still be allowed to travel at all times.

It's not too unreasonable to think that a regular London commuter should invest in a folding bike. At least, I don't thnk so.