Scrubbing up: Your comments

In this week's Scrubbing Up Professor Martin Wiseman, medical and scientific adviser at the World Cancer Research Fund, says that the UK should follow Bogota's lead on encouraging us to walk and cycle more.

Since 1998 Bogota's citizens have had access to cycle paths and improved pavements in a bid to raise their fitness levels. Wiseman believes that if we took regular exercise in this way, we would significantly reduce our cancer risk.

What do you think? Here are some of the comments you have been sending in to this week's Scrubbing up.

YOUR COMMENTS

London would be even nicer if the "ciclo via" is implemented. In Bogota (Colombia) it works really well. Despite the fact that Bogota is not the most healthy city in the world the "ciclo via" encourages people to go cycling, skating and just walking. There are also many outdoor activities such as aerobics classes, street theatre and so on, even better - all this free! Also we have cycle ways totally separate from motorways. However, cycling in Bogota is not as exciting as cycling in London; there is no "cycling culture" nobody commutes to work by bike because of the smog and many other factors (hopefully that is going to change), but in London it would be the best thing ever.
Martin, Bogota, Colombia

As a town planner I applaud the encouragement to cycle and walk in cities in preference to short car journeys. However, having visited Colombia and in particular Bogota, many taxis and buses are so poorly maintained that there is a serious risk to health from breathing in obnoxious exhaust fumes. Thus pollution must be put into the equation and the current quality of the environment undermines and modifies the aspirations and honourable intentions of the Mayorto change lifestyles.
Philip Hurling, Hadlow Kent

Provision for cyclists (and walkers) doesn't even register with the powers that be, they just don't see it as being financially worthwhile to promote. Take Edinburgh, it's council happily spends over £500 million to build a tram system that nobody actual wants but there isn't a single cycle route into the city centre on any of the main roads. What few routes there are are confined to the outskirts and are heavily fragmented. Cycling in the city is a frightening, dangerous, frustrating and fume-filled nightmare to be avoided. Until something changes, four wheels rather than two will always be the majority mode of transport.
Richard, Winchburgh, Scotland

I would happily cycle the routes that I regularly drive but these roads are just not safe enough: Fast and impatient drivers on narrow roads with blind bends mean I would be risking my life if I cycled.
B Dickins, Uckfield, England

Closing city centres to traffic and getting people to walk sounds like a great idea but how do you propose we get there? We could drive but making people drag their shopping two miles out to an out of town car park won't encourage them. Or are we supposed to walk the 10 miles into town? Very few people live within family walking or cycling distance of their town centre and Sunday bus services are virtually non-existent. Derby isn't a place you visit - you go shopping there or you go somewhere nice to walk and cycle. Closing it to traffic could do more harm than good at a commercial level.
Sandy, Derby, UK

Somewhere safe to lock my bike up would be a good start. And I mean a proper fixing place, not those silly V-shaped things that hold a wheel just well enough for the local yobs to buckle the wheel, but something solid that I can lock the bike's frame to it. If money is invested in improving the bike infrastructure, it needs to be spent on items of reasonable quality - not cheap tat that just ticks boxes.
M Young, Bordon, Hants

My partner works for an organisation that gives training to middle school pupils on how to cycle safely on the road. The majority of parents are in favour of the training but are still unwilling to allow their children to cycle to school because of the danger from cars. In the Netherlands 95% of middle school age pupils walk or cycle to school. The reason is perhaps that Dutch law places responsibility on motorists to safeguard the welfare of children and in the event of a collision the emphasis is on the driver to demonstrate that they were driving safely. The result is that their child road death rate is one tenth the size of ours. Don't our children deserve the same protection? We will fail our children miserably if we can't offer them the chance to make healthier choices.
Kath, Berwick Upon Tweed, UK

On a recent trip to Copenhagen I was fascinated and impressed with the extensive cycling network that exists there. It runs alongside all the major roads on separate cycle-ways which are raised above the level of the road, but below the pavement, and even has its own traffic signalling system for when cycles interact with on-road traffic. The benefits are obvious when observing the massive number of people getting around swiftly, cleanly, silently, safely, and above all healthily, by bike.
Mark Rowan, Birmingham, UK

Having lived a bit in Bogota with the potential to live there in the near future, the article is correct and I applaud the government's action to create the cycle paths and to be brave enough to close a good proportion of the city's roads off on Sundays and public holidays. However, it doesn't mention how bad the pollution can be from the exhaust emissions that are poorly regulated and the poor quality of the roads. They really need to clean up other emissions as walking along the streets during normal days can mean difficulties breathing and crossing streets.
Jason Nichols, Welwyn Garden City, UK

Have a good look at Milton Keynes. We have had a unique 'red way' system for cyclists, pedestrians and wheelchair users that has been in place for most of the last 40 years. Our council don't seem to be able to get government funds to maintain and upgrade where needed, so no - the balance isn't right.
Elizabeth Wyatt, Milton Keynes, England

I used to wonder why so many cyclists used the pavements. After recently returning to cycling, I find that the poor state of repair of the road, mainly at the edges used by cyclists, is a factor. It is a bone shaking experience, at least here in Hertfordshire. Simple road maintenance would make the cycling experience more pleasant and a lot safer.
Clive Marshall, St Albans

I do not think we have got it right until parents are happy to let there 11 year old child cycle to school. Understandably, many would not dream of allowing this to happen yet, especially in London.
Toby T, London

It really isn't about the UK encouraging people to walk or cycle more - the desire is there. As mentioned in the article, many places are just not safe enough. Local councils need to structure planning policies around the walker and the cyclist rather than the car. Here in Bristol, the so-called cycle city of Britain, traffic and driver behaviour still make it unsafe in many parts of the city to just cross the road, let alone to try to cycle anywhere. And this adversely affects every aspect of society, not just health. If a society is made up of people then people ought to be made the priority in planning policies, not cars and corporations.
Janine, Bristol, England

I cycle to and from work every weekday. Some of the paths in Cardiff are great but in other parts the road is so bumpy I feel like I'm riding a pneumatic drill. How about more zebra crossings for bike riders?
Lloyd Watkin, Cardiff, Wales

The UK could do so much more to encourage people to walk and cycle, starting with reducing spending on road building and increasing spending on creating safe routes for everyone. Kids need to be taught to ride - this not only keeps them fit but gives them independence. Parents need to be shown that letting their children out on a bike is not a dangerous thing and that it can improve their child's quality of life whilst saving them money on fuel and time as well. It has been shown time and again that an active lifestyle is good for both mind and body but until there are less cars on the road I believe that people are too scared to get on their bikes, or not keen to walk due to pollution. From an NHS point of view, they should look at prevention, not cure. Being active can prevent and reduce the chances of obesity, cancer, heart disease, depression, bone related illnesses, need I go on? It's blindingly obvious to me but as an active, happy and healthy cyclist, I'm very biased!
Pru, Bristol

All very well, but we need strict rules governing cycling, similar to those for cars: No pavement cycling, no jumping traffic lights, or going the wrong way up a one-way street. How about compulsory insurance to protect the pedestrians injured by the rule-breakers? Compulsory fitting and use of lights and compulsory maintenance checks. For those who insist on off-roading, keep off footpaths with a 'no cycling' rule.
Martin, Bristol

I am a keen cyclist. However, I believe that the unpredictability of the British weather is the single biggest factor in preventing people making a regular habit of cycling or walking, as opposed to using a car. People could be given all the encouragement in the world, but when a typical day for much of the year is cold and wet, the choice between driving and walking or cycling is clear; it just isn't much fun being outside when you can be warm and dry in the car.
Simon Grantham, Solihull, England

The main reason why cycling has increased in London is due to the overcrowding and unreliability of London transport services and not because cycling facilities have improved. I cycle in London every day and it is dangerous and there are very limited facilities for cycles at railway stations. In addition letting motorcyclists use cycle lanes has been a disaster - I saw two accidents involving motorbikes and cycles in one week.
Mark Clare, Woking, Surrey

We need to encourage non-walkers and non-cyclists to be more tolerant. I walked the six miles to work this morning and the quarter mile I had to do on an un-pavemented road between footpaths was full of aggressive drivers who refused to slow down, give me a wide berth or let the on-coming traffic pass before passing me.
Fi McLean, Oxford, England

The UK cant encourage weak-minded motorists out of their cars. I have work colleagues who think a 14 mile commute is an ordeal and if it's raining, madness.
Stewart Rennie, Aberdeen Grampian

You don't even need to look as far as Bogota, there are many good examples in European cities too. Money spent on making Britain's streets more cycle-friendly would benefit the economy in the short term (jobs for those doing the work) and everyone in the medium to long term (cheaper ways of going to work or school and improved health). Surely a good use of taxpayers' money if ever there was one!
Sophie, Edinburgh, UK