We need to reduce the number of cars on the road, that’s a given. One only has to look across the channel at the issues that have affected Paris recently to see the devastating future for pollutant-heavy cities and urban areas.

I don’t think “avoiding paying a large fine to the EU” is even an issue to give much consideration to—people’s health and well-being should come first and foremost.

Segregating cycle traffic is clearly very important for people’s safety. I would support moves in this direction in Southampton.

Huge cuts to police forces across the entire country mean that little time can be devoted to such things. I agree that traffic policing and general road safety for all road users should be a greater police priority, but the resources likely don’t exist to do this at this time. We need to reverse these cuts, so that the police have the time and personnel to keep people safe on the roads.

Last winter, I narrowly avoided a side-on collision with a vehicle that ran a red light in the city centre. Fortunately, the car missed my front tyre by approximately half a metre, striking a car in the lane of traffic to my right, which, being a car, was equipped with appropriate safety features. The drivers and passengers involved suffered only minor injuries, but as a cyclist I could have been killed. I’ve heard similar horror stories from friends and acquaintances. I am all in favour of more active traffic policing in the city.

It’s important to consider the direct health benefits of cycling. The improvements to general health and fitness of the city’s population could be great if cycling were to be encouraged in the right way.

I don’t think that improvements in cycling are the be-all-and-end-all of improving transport in this country—far from it. I also don’t think that improvements in cycling should be to the detriment of workers—such improvements should not come at the expense or detriment to people’s everyday lives.

Bringing the railways back into public ownership, reducing ticket prices and improving services, would be an important first step towards making transport in Britain sustainable. Nationalising the bus companies and other public transport would also play a key part in this. Such a programme of nationalisation would take millions of cars off of the roads. Why would you pay to tax, fuel, insure, and MOT a car if you could hop onto affordable, efficient, and sustainable public transport?

Let’s look also to parts of Europe, where public transport and cycling infrastructure are marvels we can learn much from.