Thousands of young people are set to benefit from cycle safety training as Merseytravel’s popular and long-running Bikeability scheme restarts this week.

The scheme, which trains 8,000 young people a year to cycle safely is temporarily being moved from schools to community venues across Merseyside as lockdown eases.

With more and more people choosing to get around by bike, the vital training will help young people to cycle safely and confidently, with sessions being held throughout the summer holidays.

The training is usually given to classes of pupils in years 5, 6 and 7 but with schools having been closed to most students due to Coronavirus, Bikeability training is instead being hosted at community venues, including King’s Leadership Academy in Bootle, HYPE community hub in Birkenhead, All Saints High School in Kirkby and at Bikeright! in Sandhills.

The sessions will help teach young people the practical skills and understanding they need to travel by bike including reading road signs, recognising hazards and sharing space with pedestrians and road users.

Young people can sign up for Bikeability training on the Bikeright! website, with sessions available to residents of Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral: https://www.bikeright.co.uk/sponsors/liverpool/

Cllr Liam Robinson, transport portfolio holder for Liverpool City Region Combined Authority  said:

“It’s great to see cycle safety training returning for our young people.

“We’re kick-starting active travel revolution here in the Liverpool City Region, putting millions of pounds into building not only pop-up bike lanes but also a 600km network of permanent cycle routes.

“But building confidence in cycling is just as important as building bike lanes and that’s why it’s so important that we’re able to restart cycle safety training for young people.

“Since 2006 we’ve organised Bikeability training for tens of thousands of school pupils. Coronavirus has meant working with the community to adapt how the scheme works, but we’re more committed than ever to giving young people in our city region all the help they need.”

Simon O’Brien, Liverpool City Region Cycling and Walking Commissioner said:

“It’s fantastic to see the Bikeability training scheme starting up again in the Liverpool City Region.

 “More people across the city region are now getting about by bike and finding it has huge benefits for their health and wellbeing and for the quality of air we breathe.

“Now we have an amazing opportunity to create a whole new generation of cyclists here in our city region, and giving young people practical skills they need to ride a bike happily and safely is a really important part of that.”

David Showell, BikeRight! Managing Director says:

“It’s great to be offering these free training courses for families and children in Merseyside as many children missed out on Bikeability due to school closures during the coronavirus crisis. With more and more people cycling across the region the valuable skills taught during these sessions will give a crucial boost to participants confidence when making local journeys by bike. 

“We’ve got an amazing team of instructors here at BikeRight! who are super-excited about running these courses. New dates and locations are being added all the time and the courses are already filling up, so book now to avoid disappointment.”