Brighton and Hove is among the six "demonstration" towns for Cycling England, the body promoting greater bicycle use. Who would know? More surprisingly, we've had this demonstration status since 2005, something supposedly identifying our city as an especially progressive place to live with regard to bikes and bike policy.

Indeed, I notice Brighton and Hove City Council is currently busily creating cycle "freeways" upon which to strike out on to the Downs near Hangleton.

Nice - something healthy for the weekend. They're running cycling profficiency classes for kids too. Doubtless some of the recent £140 million dished out from the Government to Cycling England (actually not much) goes towards these good works.

Less good is any sensible provision for riding to work, riding along the seafront or, er, going anywhere in Brighton on a bike.

The basis of any decent cycling environment, as those who have visited Scandinavia know, is proper, safe and consistent cycle lanes to ride along.

Painting arbitrary stretches of kerbside tarmac red is not the same thing.

If you bike it in Brighton, you'll know the "now you see me, now you don't"

nature of cycle lanes in the city, often terminating suddenly with dotted "give way" lines in a way that is beyond satire.

You will also have sighed at the pointlessness of cycle filters at pedestrian crossings. And you will also have been struck, or nearly struck, by cars many times.

Quite what Brighton's demonstration status is showing us is unclear. If the council wanted genuinely to innovate, it should look to Holland for examples of ways to establish designated, pedestrian-free, serious cycle routes that sometimes, just sometimes, take precedence over the rights of the car.

  • Doug Haynes, Lynton Street Brighton