Thursday 25 February 2010

'On your bikes' call to over 50s

OLDER Scarborough residents are being encouraged to get on their bikes after the launch of a new scheme.
Free one-to-one cycling training is being offered to motorists over the age of 50 in order to give them the skills and confidence to ditch their cars and cycle instead.

It is hoped the scheme, which has been set up by North Yorkshire County Council, will benefit the environment and ease congestion on Scarborough’s roads, and also improve the fitness of participants and save them money.

The course consists of up to four one-hour sessions and covers coping with a variety of roads and planning routes as well as some theory and traffic law.

The training is being funded from the Government Road Safety Grant, and the scheme was officially launched at Falsgrave Community Centre by Scarborough mayor Bill Chatt.

John Sheader, Scarborough Council’s road safety and travel awareness officer, said: “Most people have a bicycle in their garage or shed, and there are a number of reasons why people don’t use their bikes.

“We can’t do much about the weather, and we can’t do much about the hills, but we all know there are many good days when cycling can be a pleasure.

“Lots of people say they won’t ride a bike on today’s roads because of the traffic and we can do something about that by helping them to build up confidence to encourage people to ride on the roads safely.

“Cycling is good for your health, your pocket and your town, and for many journeys in urban areas it is a very practical means of transport.”

For more information or to sign up for a course contact John Sheader on (01723) 232454

What a great idea and we should encourage more local authorities to do something similar

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