November update

The nights are drawing in and the weather is getting colder, but while Bikeability delivery might slow down a little, we know our inspirational instructors are still out there ensuring as many children as possible can access cycling. 

Funding update

As you know, the budget was announced on 30 October. Now is when the decisions are being made about how it will be allocated. We have been lobbying and talking to people in government and Active Travel England to ensure the case for Bikeability is clear.  

We are pushing for confirmation before Christmas on Bikeability programme and administration funding  for the 2025/26, but everything is dependent on Department for Transport and Ministerial decision making. When we have that confirmation, we will share it with, along with the process for confirming grant allocations. Rest assured that you will know as soon as we are able to let you know. We have further analysis of what the budget could mean for the Active Travel industry below.

The effect of Bikeability on KSIs – our report

One element that shows why funding for Bikeability is imperative is a recent set of research we commissioned. The research shows that increased Bikeability Level 2 training is statistically associated with fewer people being killed and seriously injured on the road. 

The research, which was carried out by TRL on behalf of The Bikeability Trust, looked at the possible effect that Bikeability training has on KSI numbers across the country. KSIs, or killed and seriously injured casualties, are an important measure in road safety. 

TRL developed models at local authority level and used data from a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022. Level 2 Bikeability training was included as a potential explanatory variable for the number of KSIs reported locally. Other variables included traffic flow and level of depredation. 

The models indicated a significant association between Level 2 training and KSIs, with increased levels of Bikeability training delivery associated with fewer KSIs, and fewer cyclist KSIs, at the local authority level. 

We have already shared this research with Active Travel England and Department for Transport, and it will be useful for both the spending review and road safety strategy. Bikeability is fundamentally the largest road safety education programme in the world that is funded and owned by Government.  

Bikeability keeps road users safe

This research demonstrates how important it is that Bikeability is funded, not only to encourage active travel, but also as part of road safety measures for local authorities.  

While Bikeability training is only part of the solution, it is an important part, and one that will continue to be crucial if we are to increase the numbers of people cycling, while keeping them and other road users safe. You can read the topline info on the research here and the full report from TRL here. 

You may remember we also produced a KSI report last year, which is here. 

There are a number of ways you can use this report and its findings: 

•  with your lead members and officers for road safety to raise the profile of Bikeability as a low cost and effective road safety intervention 

• for the strategic case for investment in your local authority through your cycling and walking infrastructure plans (LCWIPs) or road safety strategies.  

• with your Local Education Authority colleagues to encourage more schools to take up Level 2 and Level 3 training  

 Please share this widely! 

Budget 2024: what did it mean for Active Travel?

Department for Transport overall departmental budget is 2.5% lower than last year, and of course they are investing more in Rail and Buses with manifesto pledges. The budget for revenue funding covering active travel (where Bikeability sits) is now with Department for Transport and Active Travel England for business planning. The budget document did not give anything away on revenue funding for active travel.

Active Travel did have some positives in the budget for financial year 2025/26.

Confirmation that the capital funding for active travel increased by £100 million to a total of £154 million

This, in effect, returns the level of funding to what it would have been in 2023/24 and 2024/25 if it had not been cut by previous Government. Decisions on how to allocate the £154 million will be a matter for Active Travel England.

Local highway maintenance

Government will be providing an extra £500 million, taking the total investment to nearly £1.6 billion (not including the £200 million or so of funding for highway maintenance that is provided as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements). This is an increase of nearly 50% on the level of funding provided in 2024-25 (which was £1,067 million). For 2025/26 this will allow the Government to say that it is going further than the manifesto commitment to fix an additional one million potholes across England, along cycleways too.

The budget also raised Employers’ National Insurance contributions from 13.8% to 15% and lowered the threshold at which businesses start paying National Insurance on a workers’ earnings from £9,100 to £5,000.  Minimum wage thresholds increased, and this is a condition of grant funding to follow guidance on minimum wage. We know this will have an impact on all training providers costs, and we are considering the implications of this in our modelling on 2025/26 grant funding allocations.

As always, I want to use this space to say thank you to all of the Bikeability industry – you should all be very proud that the work we do helps our riders, whether they are children or adults, become happier, healthier and safer!