Last week Ben Howlett, MP for Bath, visited a company producing an innovative bicycle rack in conjunction with First Bus, which could be attached to either the front or rear of buses in the city.
This would allow cyclists to use the city’s public transport for the longer stretch of their journey, before completing it on their bike.
For the visit, he was accompanied by the Cabinet Member for Transport on the Bath & North East Somerset Council, Councillor Anthony Clarke and Deputy Cabinet Member for Transport Councillor Matt Cochrane.
During the General and Local election campaign, Ben Howlett had campaigned for the introduction of cycle racks to be installed on buses to help people get their bikes back up the hills and thus increase the accessibility of cycling.
Following the visit, Ben Howlett MP said: “These fantastic bicycle racks are already in place in some cities across North America, Australia and New Zealand and would be a great addition to Bath.
“It was great to see their versatility, being attachable to both the front and back of a bus, their ease of use, and importantly, that they would not disrupt the drivers’ visibility.
“I would like to see a trial run across the city to gauge their impact on bus journeys, to assess how popular they are, and most importantly, to see how well they are received by my constituents.
“The Bath Park and Ride is an ideal option for the trial, giving commuters the chance to use public transport to get into the city, and still have the flexibility to travel to their specific location without needing a car.
“I will be lobbying the Department for Transport to ask for their support in bringing this trial to fruition.
“I am committed to stopping Bath stalling and so I want to make it easier for constituents and tourists to use public transport whether they are travelling in groups, with a buggy or with a bike.
“By making it easier for cyclists to use buses, this will reduce the number of cars on the road – something which is crucial to improve the roads and air quality across our beautiful city.”
Cllr Anthony Clarke, who accompanied Ben on the visit, was very impressed by the bike racks and commented: “As a Council we wish to encourage cycling for health and sustainability reasons, and the ability to move bikes around to make their usage more attractive should be encouraged.
“I would like to see a trial of these racks within the Council area as soon as possible.”
