Wednesday 30 November 2016 12:09 pm

Cycling groups pedal away with £190,000 in Transport for London funding

Not everyone thinks the prospect of cycling in London is an appealing one.

You have to brace yourself for congestion, wayward pedestrians and angry drivers as all part of the experience.

But Transport for London (TfL) wants to encourage more people to take it up and has plugged £190,000 into 46 cycling groups.

It has awarded the money to a range of community cycling projects to encourage the capital's communities to cycle "more safely more often", as part of its Cycling Grants London programme.

The initiative is funded by TfL and managed by charity Groundwork London. Community groups from 23 London boroughs have been awarded funding for a range of projects spanning guided rises, cycle skills sessions and courses on basic cycle maintenance.

Ben Plowden,TfL's director of surface strategy and planning, said:

Cycling leads to a healthier lifestyle, a cleaner environment and is a great way to get around the city.

We want more people across London to discover the benefits of cycling and we hope that through this funding we can reach people who haven't considered getting on a bike before and offer them support to get started.

Some of the projects receiving funding up to £10,000 over three years include London Bike Kitchen in Hackney which will purchase equipment so they can run maintenance workshops for disadvantaged Londoners.

There's also Bikeworks Commuter Train in Tower Hamlets where trained ride leaders will escort new or infrequent cyclists along fitting cycle commuter routes, and Muslim Charity Cycling Club which will provide sessions on cycle confidence and road safety taking into account cultural backgrounds.

Earlier this month, London mayor Sadiq Khan ditched initial plans to create a cycle superhighway by removing a lane from the A40 Westway flyover. He will recommend changes to the proposed scheme in the coming weeks.