In ‘Honest thoughts on cycling in city’ (September 2, 2021, p17 - http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/19538909.councillor-shares-like-cycling-across-hereford/), I was at least pleased to read of a Herefordshire Tory councillor (Ann-Marie Probert, Newton Farm ward ) getting on their bike.

Not only that, but also making a trial run at the effectiveness of local council service delivery in the form of Herefordshire Council’s cycle lanes provision.

After declaring that service inadequate however, she does hark back to that public service non-delivery mantra, “Hereford needs a bypass.”

May I advise her and the pro-bypass lobby she represents to expand their vocabularies to bring their agendas up to date with ‘code red’ and ‘COP26’?

Better cycle lanes could probably help get more people out of their cars and would surely be more cost-effective than a bypass, though as a non-cyclist on account of disability, I would be unable to use them directly.

I would also point out that I don’t know of any local Tory councillors having tried out and 'given honest thoughts on cycling in the city' as integral to the ‘Choose How You Move’ pathways that were bragged about on the backs of buses while Tories ran Herefordshire Council.

Also, I wonder what other Herefordshire councillor would discover and report if they tried other ‘Choose How You Move’ services such as local buses and canvassed the service users regarding their evaluations and frustrations?

Alan Wheatley

Hereford

  • What is your view? Have your say HERE