Largest bike training grant in country for Merseyside

Mar 18 2008 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

MERSEYSIDE is to receive the biggest cycle training grant in England to help nearly 9,000 school pupils learn to cycle safely on the roads.

Transport minister Rosie Winterton has announced a £346,000 grant which will support the work being carried out by the TravelWise course known as Merseybike.

The course teaches safe riding skills, and the new funding will allow training to be offered to every pupil in their final two years at primary schools on Merseyside.

The move will benefit an extra 8,650 pupils.

The Merseybike scheme is funded by Merseytravel and Merseyside’s five local authorities, the partners behind the Local Transport Plan.

Neil Scales, chief executive and director-general of Merseytravel, said: “This increased funding is an endorsement of the work we have already carried out in delivering what is the biggest and best cycling training course in the country.

“Encouraging more pupils to cycle will also help them to adopt a healthier lifestyle, tackle problems such as congestion at the school gate, and help the environment.”

The scheme was launched two years ago and since then has trained almost 20,000 people to cycle more safely.

Making the funding announcement, Ms Winterton said: “Encouraging cycling also encourages healthier lifestyles.

“Considering obesity now affects around one quarter of adults and one in 10 children, encouraging people to take exercise has never been more important.”