At the moment, applying for a provisional driving licence is a major right of passage for teenagers and young adults. However, the cost of driving is rising and the ecological cost (whether for fossil fuel or electric cars) is increasingly hard to justify. At the same time our roads are at capacity and air pollution and pollution from tyres is rising. Yet, 38% of journeys in the UK are under 2 miles (a distance easily cycled in around 10 minutes); 66% are under 5 miles (a distance easily cycled in around 25 minutes). With this in mind, the UK government would intervene at that point in a young person’s life when their desire for freedom of movement is keenest, but before they are hooked on motor vehicles, presenting every citizen with a brand new Brompton folding bicycle on their 16th birthday. The entry level Brompton costs just under £800. Even without taking into account the possibility of a bulk buying discount, that works out at c.£50 million per annum – a drop in the ocean compared with the cost of obesity to the NHS each year (£6.1 billion estimated in 2014/15). The brand is important: Brompton bikes are highly customisable, very easy to store even in a small flat, can carry a fair quantity of cargo using a basket/bag, are easily adapted for electric use, easy to maintain, can be taken on the train as well as fitting in the boot of a car, are well-made and, not insignificantly, are made in the UK. At the same time they are unisex and one size fits all, so the gift would benefit not just the teenage recipient but perhaps their entire family. The low-step through design makes them uniquely unintimidating to ride. The gift would be non-resalable (perhaps coded/ID’ed) and would be considered a gift for life. Unused/refused bikes could be returned/collected and re-allocated if necessary. Within 2 years there could be over 1.5 million new cyclists on the road, encouraging councils to invest in more joined-up public transport links. Within a decade, town and cities across the country would be changed beyond recognition, easing the strangle hold of motor vehicles and all their attendant problems. Within a generation, obesity and other health issues might be addressed. Cycling for transport would be normalised, with the young leading the way. Brompton (with whom I have no connection, except that I won one of their bikes in a competition and it changed my transport life) would need major investment but this in itself would result in many skilled and secure jobs. In time, we might export surplus to other countries, or create profitable franchises. High-streets would benefit from the increase in local, non-motor traffic, as well as the establishment of maintenance centres. These might even help repair other consumer goods to reduce landfill.
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