CycleWight – the advocacy group for cycling on the Isle of Wight – is holding a commuter challenge on Wednesday (11th June), starting at 08:00 outside County Hall in Newport.
To draw attention to a solution to the present traffic issues, CycleWight are going to carry out a commuter challenge using a bike. Riders will leave from outside County Hall and head for the Red Jet terminal in Cowes. A car will leave at the same time, heading to Cowes following the diversion via Forest Road.
Who will win? One thing CycleWight can guarantee is that they will be there in 25 minutes. Will it be a quick day or one full of waiting and frustration for the car?
A committee member said:
“It is no surprise that the traffic chaos at the moment is front page news. Tales of woe abound. Lots of inconvenience for many. Will it take 20 minutes or an hour to get to Cowes?
“Many of us know there is a simple solution. It is the bicycle. You can guarantee what time you will arrive, help the environment, keep yourself heathy and save money ”
If you banned the cyclists from the roads – after all they don’t have insurance, licenses, or pay road tax – you’d have a lot less congestion as they wouldn’t be holding up traffic. Keep them only to cycle paths, roads are for CARS!
Very true.
Cyclists should have to pay a fee to use our roads
to cycle on, they should also have to display a number
that is allocated to their bicycle.
We all pay for the roads.. Road tax was abolished in 1937 by the way. The congestion is caused by people taking a huge metal box with an empty 3 piece suite everywhere they go..
That’s why I drive a sports car. No back seats!
So in an attempt to drum up support for cycling as an alternative to driving, CycleWight are going, potentially, to cause more delays and more frustrations to the chaos that these roadworks are already causing!
Way to go CycleWight. The worrying thing is – someone thought this would be a good idea.
Most of the journey was done on a cycle path and so had little effect on traffic. It was a good idea. The car took 34 minutes and the bikes 24 mins
So in that case a fairly pointless exercise then? As all it really proves is that in extreme circumstances the bike can be quicker than the car? Once the road is open the bike will again be slower?
No problem with the initiative but not really needed?
And I am not anti bike – I have completed several bike challenges myself incl a Paris to IOW ride several years ago.
Ok as long as you are not carrying anything large, or blowing a hooley or pouring with rain