Letter: To Believe Drivers Will Switch to Cycling is Absurd

Published on: 24 Oct, 2024
Updated on: 24 Oct, 2024

From: Malcolm Stanier

In response to: Objectors Fear SCC Will Give Green Light to London Road Active Travel Redesign

Cllr George Potter’s [Lib Dem, Guildford East] statement that a “minority remain opposed to the scheme” is just not true as is his assertion that the Highway Engineers have all accepted the below standard dimensions. I am not aware that Cllr Potter has the Highway Engineering qualifications to say this.

The belief that the engineers cannot be leaned on to produce acceptable results to the political machinations of SCC and the evangelical cycling lobby and ignore the something like 19,000 everyday road users and Burpham residents is incredible.

As Cllr Fiona Davidson [R4GV, Guildford South East] says the scheme is based on “A large amount of highly technical and theoretic argument” whereas local residents and road users of this main A road route to and from Guildford will have to live with the real-life situation which is all for the benefit of a supposed possible additional 200 (a Surrey County Council figure) cyclists at the cost of over £4 million.

I do not doubt the need to reverse the environmental damage that has occurred but to believe that this will be achieved by substantial numbers of car drivers being willing to switch to cycling is an absurd and unrealistic fantasy.