The headline and first paragraph of this article were corrected on 20 Nov 2015.
More needs to be done to get black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities in Hackney involved in cycling, councillors said at a joint ward forum this week.
By 2024, Hackney Council wants 15 per cent of all journeys by Hackney residents to be completed by bicycle.
However, while more people from the borough cycle to work than from any other area of London, the Office for National Statistics has classified 85 per cent of this group as white, despite the fact that Hackney has one of the most diverse populations in the country.
Jono Kenyon, a co-ordinator of the Hackney Cycling Campaign, said: “The problem is that cycling is not considered very safe.
“When you have an activity that is seen as unsafe, you are left with a minority of people willing to engage with it, usually young white males.
“Countries like the Netherlands which have a much better safety record see more women cycling than men and a much better balance ethnically.”
While the council has already implemented a 20mph speed limit on all residential roads in the borough and offers free cycle training for those who live and work in Hackney, Stoke Newington councillor Mete Coban acknowledged that more needs to be done to target those communities going forward.
“I don’t think that this is an area whereby we will see instant or immediate results, as it may involve breaking down cultural barriers.
“But I strongly believe that if the council continues the great work it already does in schools and the training that it provides, we will see an increase in participation and more people from BAME communities that take up cycling.
“We need more people to share good news stories about cycling and talk about the positivity of cycling for health, convenience and our environment,” Cllr Coban added.
Picture: Davide D’Amico
