Cyclists now outnumber drivers on many A-roads, Department for Transport figures reveal

The number of cyclists on many A-roads has surpassed the number of drivers at 43 locations, according to an analysis of Department for Transport figures from 2020.

In a report published in the Sunday Times it was noted that the government figures point to eight main roads where cyclists now outnumber all other vehicles, while at a further 35 locations they outnumbered cars and taxis on an average day.

The Department for Transport's road traffic statistics map allows users to compare traffic count figures by mode of transport from previous years.

Central London saw the greatest proportion of road users on two wheels, with 87 per cent of traffic on a section of Lambeth Road coming from cyclists.

On Royal Mint Street in the City, 81 per cent of traffic was pedalling a bicycle — four other locations recorded between 55 per cent and 63 per cent.

Commenting on the news, Cycling UK's head of campaigns, Duncan Dollimore said: "London shows that when you start to build a network, and not just individual schemes, you see increased levels of cycling across the whole network or town or city.

"We are seeing similar increases in pockets across the rest of the country where there is a commitment to separated space. People will cycle if the conditions feel safer."

In September, the most recent DfT statistics showed that lockdown had seen the cycling gender gap narrow, and that the average number of miles cycled per person was on the rise.

> Lockdown sees cycling gender gap narrow, government statistics reveal

The Walking and Cycling Statistics, England: 2020 report showed that people in England on average made 20 cycling trips, a 26 per cent increase on 2019.

Average number of miles cycled was also on the rise, up from 54 miles per person in 2019 to 88 miles per person last year, an increase of 62 per cent.

The gap between the number of trips made by men and women narrowed from three times as many made by men in 2019 to two times as many in 2020.

Last week, Transport for London announced that the capital's Santander Cycles scheme smashed its record for hires made in a year, with over 10.9 million made in 2021.

More than one million individual customers used the scheme, and 178,000 new members joined — a seven per cent increase on 2020.

"It’s fantastic to see our cycle hire scheme reach such incredible heights," Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said. "Not only have we seen a huge rise in cycling since the pandemic, but participation has also broadened, particularly among people from minority ethnic communities.

"In order to keep up this success, we need safe roads for cyclists, and we continue to work with boroughs to roll out cycle lanes, extra pavement space and safer junctions. I urge anyone who has been thinking of taking up cycling to give it a go and get riding [in 2022]."