How can we make the ACT a cycle city?

If the cost of living is your principal concern, saving money on petrol makes eminent sense. And, if you're worried about a few extra kilos and are having trouble fitting an exercise routine into a hectic work/life schedule then cycling kills two birds with one stone.

So why, given all of these advantages, isn't everybody in the Bush Capital hopping on their bikes to enjoy our bracing climate and abundant fresh air as they head to the office?

The answer, in a word, is fear.

Fear they might be cleaned up by an inattentive driver who is preoccupied with their mobile. Fear they might be swallowed up by one of the many cavernous potholes popping up on roads and on shared pathways.

And, especially in the case of women, fear they might be assaulted if they are riding in the early hours of the morning or back home from work in the dark.

Numerous studies have confirmed very rational concerns such as these are why people of both sexes choose not to ride. As far as they are concerned the risks outweigh the benefits, making public transport, an uber or a private car their preferred option.

This is a shame. In Europe many cities embraced the bicycle as a way to travel short to medium distances without adding to traffic congestion in city centres many decades ago. Amsterdam is a prime example.

The ACT would not have to reinvent the wheel. There are plenty of models to follow.

Cycling is particularly timely at the moment, as it is at the forefront of the EV revolution.

While not everybody can afford to splurge $200,000 on an electric Ford pickup truck or $80,000-plus on a Tesla or its equivalent, there are plenty of affordable electric bikes on the market.

The 21^st century version of the venerable "mopeds" that put cities such as Manila and Jakarta on wheels, these vehicles mean even the quite elderly can "get on their bike" without having to worry about their ability to go the distance.

In the lead-up to the ACT election, Canberrans have heard a lot of talk from the government and the opposition about transport policy.

The debate has focused almost entirely on light rail and buses with some discussion of the needs of motorists taking place on the periphery. But where is the serious discussion about an integrated transport strategy that takes account of cyclists, pedestrians, e-scooter users and the like?

It is well-known cycling infrastructure is much cheaper to develop and upgrade than trams or road networks.

We also know if the ACT government spent some serious money providing dedicated pathways that keep cyclists separated from motor vehicles many more people would choose to ride.

When a car and a bike collide it is the rider who always comes off worse. Cyclists, quite naturally, are reluctant to trust life and limb to a driver's willingness not to stray across a painted line demarcating a "cycle lane".

They want something far more tangible between them and a possible accident.

It also goes without saying any current or future government that is serious about improving cycle safety would also invest in driver and rider education programs to increase awareness and to change attitudes on both sides of the handlebars.

There will always be occasions when bikes and motor vehicles do interact and all road users have a responsibility to look out for each other.