Great news for cycling in Oxford? - update - sad news

Update 16 May 08 - sadly Oxford was not one of those selected for the next stage. Even more work for Cyclox supporters to do.


Cyclox has convinced Oxfordshire County Council to put in a bid for £4 million for cycling in the city.

The money would come from Cycling England, which is looking for six Cycling Towns and one Cycling City to add to the six existing Cycling Towns – Aylesbury being the nearest existing Cycling Town. The Cycling Towns programme is intended to kick-start towns into getting cycling up to northern European levels.

Read what Cyclox recommended that Oxfordshire County Council spend the money on here.

Read what Oxfordshire County Council actually bid for here. Not bad!

Read the Oxford Times’s view here .

Bad news for cycling in Oxford!

Drivers of private hire vehicles (mini-cabs) are celebrating the fact that they will soon be able share bus lanes, along with bikes. We think that’s bad news for cyclists.

At the moment, Oxford’s 100 black cabs are allowed in bus lanes, as are bikes. The city’s 350+ private hire vehicles (PHVs) are not allowed in bus lanes. Perceiving unfair competition, PHV drivers campaigned for nine years for permission to use bus lanes – and won. But they’ve only got permission for a year. Let’s hope this unfortunate decision is reversed.

Read why Cyclox thinks it’s such a bad idea here.

Read On Yer Bike’s take on the decision here.

Read the Oxford Times’s view here.