Ministers are inviting eight English cities to bid for a share of £6.5m to improve safety for cyclists as part of the Government’s controversial cycle safety review.

The cities, which are already receiving Government support under the Cycle City Ambition scheme, will be given the chance to bid for the cash to trial new safety schemes.

Cycling minister Jesse Norman said: ‘While Britain has some of the safest roads in the world, we want to encourage more people to take up cycling. This funding, as part of our overall cycling and walking strategy, will help local councils to make their roads safer for everyone.’

Mr Norman launched the Government’s cycle safety review last September following the conviction of cyclist Charlie Alliston, who knocked over and killed pedestrian Kim Briggs.

At that time, the Department for Transport (DfT) said that the first phase of the review would analyse the case for creating a new offence equivalent to causing death or serious injury by careless or dangerous driving ‘to help protect both cyclists and pedestrians’, with conclusions from this phase ‘expected to be reported in the New Year’.

A DfT spokesperson was not able to state when this would occur.

A further £500m will be set aside to support national charity Cycling UK’s Big bike revival - an initiative that the DfT said is helping to get more people cycling safely and confidently across the country.

Paul Tuohy, chief executive of Cycling UK, said: ‘Last year the big bike revival reached more than 50,000 people in England, and produced more than 6,000 regular cyclists, so the project represents incredible value for money.

‘I’m delighted that the Department for Transport has recognised its significance by funding it for another year so we can get even more people cycling every day.’

This article first appeared on www.transport-network.co.uk