Voice of London

Following the recent cuts to London’s budget for cycling instructors, a trade union group gathered in Friday to demand more spending.

Decked out in florescent cycling gear and protest banners shouting “TFL, shame on you”, the group IWGB, The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, took to the streets to highlight the importance of cycle training and to protest TFL reducing cycling instruction by 50%.

Cycling from Trafalgar Square to City Hall, the group passionately spoke about the importance of cycle training to children in London.

This change in funding not only denies children across London access to cycle training but will largely reduce the amount go people choosing cycling as their main mode of transport in London, the group argues.

Mariam Draaijer, a cycling instructor and women’s rep of the instructors union told Voice of London that “a lot of people just don’t have the confidence to start cycling on the roads if they don’t have cycle training.”

From this, she told us that “With climate change and covid, we don’t want to have all the cars on the roads, not everyone feels comfortable on public transport, so cycling is a really important alternative form of transport, especially in a city like London”.

@sarahchaffey Keen cyclists gathered in London on Friday to demand a reversal of funding cuts for cycling instructors. #Londoncycling #Cycling ♬ original sound – Sarah Chaffey

With COP26 happening this Sunday, this weekend was the perfect time for their protest to promote the importance of cycling in London.

Read more about the environment here.

Photographs and words: Tia Janowski | Interviews, subbing and video: Sarah Chaffey