FEATURE
OPENING MOVES K
en Clarke, a veteran MP of nearly 50 years, once said that a new government should introduce its most radical – and potentially unpopular – legislation in its first two years with the hope that the benefits will be seen come election time.
So with that in mind, what has Labour set out as its priorities since winning a landslide majority on July 4? During the election campaign, active travel was quite low on the agenda behind topics such as immigration, the NHS, social care and economic stability. New Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has outlined her
top five concerns (see P11), but the King’s Speech last month represented Labour’s first opportunity to set out its first legislative priorities for the coming months. And it garnered a mixed response from industry
stakeholders.
www.bikebiz.com
RICARDO PARRETTI VIA PEXELS
With a landslide majority in their back pocket, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Labour have the opportunity to drive forward a new era for the future of transport in the UK. BikeBiz looks at the first steps being taken and rounds-up some reaction from industry stakeholders
Cycling, active travel and micromobility did not receive explicit mentions in the 104-page briefing document released by the government. However, there were some glimmers of hope for what could come in the future with the key for greener transport potentially being held in planning reform and additional powers to local authorities.
There was also the welcome acknowledgement that urgent action is needed to address the fire risks associated with e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries in the UK A new Product Safety and Metrology Bill will give the government powers to ensure a continued supply of safe goods into the UK market and provide more regulatory stability and protection for consumers, not least by preventing unsafe products being sold via online marketplaces.
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