Council Plans to Give Away 1,000 Bikes in Southall
Part of an effort to encourage more cycling in the area
Southall residents celebrating getting their free bikes
May 18, 2023
Ealing Council is committing to give away over 1,000 bikes to residents of Southall over the next year.
It has already handed out 281 free cycles to children and adults in the area and has plans to distribute over 700 more. Residents are receiving not only a new bike, but also training, daily cycle rides for people of all ages and abilities.
It is part of the Let’s Ride Southall programme which was initiated when it was identified that the area had a relatively low usage of active travel. The programme, which is run in partnership with Sports England, is supported by a team of fully trained cycling ride leads and mechanics who are all Southall residents.
Some of the free bikes are brand new while others are adapted or recycled and refurbished by the West London Waste Authority.
London’s largest community cycle centre has also been set up in Southall, next to Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha. There you can borrow a bike for free and join the free daily cycle rides. For more information a timetable is available on Let’s Go Southall website. And you can book in advance by emailing activity@accteams.uk. The council is planning on creating up to four new local cycling hubs in Southall.
The leader of Ealing Council, Councillor Peter Mason and Councillor Jasbir Anand, cabinet member for thriving communities, visited Villiers High School in Southall during the school’s active travel week on 11 May to give away 10 new bikes to children and talk to them about the benefits of active travel.
Councillors Peter Mason and Jasbir Anand with a school boy who has been given a free bike
Councillor Peter Mason said, “Let’s Ride Southall is a unique programme which gives people the confidence to cycle regularly. In fact, it’s the first of its kind in London. Ealing is leading the way in active travel.”
Councillor Jasbir Anand added, “It was great to see the smiles on children’s faces when they received their new bikes. Working with our schools and young people to encourage them to get active and improve their health and wellbeing is so important to us.”
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