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The CTC campaign focused on the Rights of Way provisions in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill (England & Wales), which sought to protect the countryside by removing the legal practice by which motorised vehicles can claim byways based on evidence of past use by carriages. CTC, though fully supportive of such measures, argued that the Bill ought to clarify cyclistsÂ’ ability to claim Rights of Way.
During the debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday, the Minister for Rural Affairs, Jim Knight MP, stated that he “recognised the concern” and that he would hold discussions about CTC’s amendment, to be tabled in the Lords.
During the campaign 3000 sent messages to their MP via the CTC website, urging MPs to support an amendment tabled by Emily Thornberry MP, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group. Ten MPs from across the political spectrum spoke in favour of CTCÂ’s amendments, with at least four more waiting in the wings.
Richard George, Off-Road Policy Campaigner at CTC, said “We are absolutely stoked at the success of this campaign. Mountain bikers pulled out all the stops and in three weeks managed to raise this issue to the forefront of MPs’ thinking. We are eternally grateful for the work individual cyclists put in, through the forums, the magazines and by word of mouth, to help us ensure that cyclists’ ability to claim Rights of Way was safeguarded for the future. This is just a taster of what we can achieve when we work together to get better rights for mountain bikers."
Kevin Mayne, CTC Director, said, “When I go out mountain biking, people always ask me what exactly we do for bikers. Well, this is what we do, and we are bloody good at it. CTC’s links to the cycling community, All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group and Members of Parliament, extensive campaigning experience and knowledge of the intricacies of the issues make us the perfect organisation to achieve such victories for cycling."
