ECF Training Supports Cycling Growth
•Download as PPT, PDF•
0 likes•603 views
The document summarizes a presentation given in 2012 on cyclist training courses in the UK and Switzerland. It finds that both countries developed three-level cyclist training schemes independently but with common goals of improving safety, promoting cycling, and teaching proper cycling skills. The schemes benefit cycling by empowering cyclists and changing perceptions, and benefit host organizations through partnerships, branding, and generating income. The UK and Switzerland now support each other and new countries in developing successful cyclist training programs.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
Similar to ECF Training Supports Cycling Growth
Similar to ECF Training Supports Cycling Growth (20)
More from velotransport
More from velotransport (20)
ECF Training Supports Cycling Growth
- 1. ECF gratefully acknowledges financial support from the European Commission. Cyclist training and education Kevin Mayne, Development Director ECF
- 2. Contents • Where we started – 2007 presentation from Velo-city • 2012 Update
- 3. How the development of cyclist training courses benefits cycling and cycling promoters Shared experience from the UK and Switzerland
- 4. Contents • CTC’s UK experience • IG Velo’s Swiss experience • Methodology • Comparisons – Development of course contents • By level of cycling skill • By type of client • For instructors – The benefits of cyclist training • To cycling policy • To host organisations – Developing resources for new cycle training schemes • Conclusions
- 5. UK - History • First schemes 1930s • Offroad child scheme 1940s-1990s – 300,000 annual participants – Almost entirely road danger focussed • Adult cycle training scheme 2003 – Trip focussed – Merged with child on road scheme 2005 • Significant government funding for change 2005-8
- 6. Switzerland 1996-2006 Participants 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Communities 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
- 7. Methodology • Two schemes developed in isolation • Information sharing via ECF • Common ground – 3 level scheme • Comparison – Best practice – Common transferable experience
- 8. Comparison – Course Content – Skills IG Velo Switzerland CTC - UK 1st Level A: “Cycling in Level 1. “Basic skills of safe surroundings” cycling.” •Traffic free •Off road 2nd Level B: “First rides” Level 2: “Introduction to road cycling” •Safe surroundings, quiet streets •Low levels of traffic 3rd Level C “Riding in city Level 3. “Road cycling traffic” trips” •Busy streets •All conditions - sharing roads
- 10. Comparison Course Content – Clients IG Velo Switzerland CTC - UK Younger Complementary schemes Recognises changes of journey Children School – basic skills type at different ages IG Velo – riding on streets Level 2 = Primary school Parents Theory and observation at children’s lessons Teenagers Reminders about good skills Level 3 designed for teenagers and adults Adults –Moving to the countryside -Health improvement –Re-starting after a break -Rehabilitation –Accompanying children -Fitness –Elderly -Promotion of social inclusion –Mostly women -Cycle maintenance & rides. -Majority female
- 16. Comparison – Course Content - Instructors IG Velo Switzerland CTC - UK Objectives Guiding children & Creating accredited, parents in groups. Right insured instructors theory and behaviour experienced transport cyclists Materials Handbooks Manuals Training 3 levels Single 4 day course Quality assurance Audit by Swiss Traffic Created an independent Security Council Cycle Training Standards Board
- 18. Comparison – Benefits to cycling Switzerland UK Support Give knowledge Empowerment for Reduce anxiety potential cyclists Safety Teaching the Reducing right way casualties Popularity Repeated Link - recreational participation and utility cycling Image improvement Trained cyclists Deals with are a good negative and image for cycling illegal behaviours of cyclists
- 19. Comparison - Benefits to host organisations IG Velo Switzerland CTC - UK Building Relationships State authorities, From lobbyist to other cycle strategic partner organisations Branding Image advantage Media friendly - great images Consumer profile Potential Changes range of customers cycling activities /members offered Income generating Employers Government funds Lobbying Working with new Changing emphasis – partners from danger to trips
- 20. Comparison – Creating resources IG Velo - Switzerland CTC - UK Materials Materials Web site Web site Services for new Courses Courses and existing training schemes 4 module scheme for Professional support setting up new courses Helpline •Introductions •Consultancy •Visits •Capacity Building •Mentoring scheme •Training •Government grants & bursaries
- 21. Conclusions • Training is popular, cheap and effective • Safety, promotion and cyclist behaviour at the same time • Can focus on children, families and new cyclists • Can cater for children and adults • 3 level schemes meet all needs • Instructor training is the cornerstone • Organisations that promote training gain significant benefits • Support for knowledge transfer from IG Velo and CTC
- 27. Contents • Where we started – 2007 presentation from Velo-city • 2012 Update
- 28. 2012: UK • Adopted across the UK • Government budgets €50 Million for Bikeability lessons 2011-2015 • 500,000 children per year trained to make trips by bike • 5000+ trained and paid instructors • 50% of delivery through organisations and social businesses linked to advocacy sector • Strengthening more advocacy – Ministerial influence
- 29. 2012 - International • Hungary • Portugal • Estonia • Belgium • Denmark • Netherlands • Canada
- 30. Conclusion?
Editor's Notes
- BF
- BF
- BF
- BF
- BF The material we are going to share with you today is a repeat of the discoveries we made when CTC discovered IG Velo’s training activities through ECF. We were immediately struck by the similarity between our delivery schemes, based on 3 almost identical levels. And then the more we looked at each others work the more we discovered how much these two programmes developed in isolation had come to common conclusions about the benefits and best practices associated with cyclist training. So this presentation shares the discoveries we have made which we suggest make a body of transferable best practice which we as individual organisations and contributors to ECF would like to share.
- BF We start with where we started – discovering we had produced schemes which had an almost identical structure despite our different origins
- BF The IG Velo web site shows the different offers extremely well
- BF We also discover that we were approaching our clients with very similar needs.
- BF We use this picture to illustrate two points. When training it is vital that we have instructors who lead by example, settings standards for other riders.There is a Swiss saying: what little John hasn‘t learned, big John will never do“ The Swiss schemes emphasise the role of parents in this regard far more than the UK schemes, partly because so few UK parents cycle. But we can also use this picture to introduce our examples. The following photos show how adult, teenage and child traing develops across our three levels
- BF But we don’t teach this - yet
- KM Thank you Bea After comparing the way the UK and Swiss courses had reached similar conclusion for clients we moved to comparing our instructor schemes. Here we found a number of similarities but by far the most important was getting our training accredited by an external body, especially one recognised by local and national government. IG Velo obtained this through the Swiss Traffic Security Council, a body that brings together government groups, the police and NGOs. In the UK we didn’t have comparable body so we approached the organisation representing road safety managers in local authorities to set up a reference group together. After three years this body has become recognised by national government and all the training partners as an autonomous quality assurance body. Through these routes we have a credibility that would not be possible on our own.
- KM Here’s a CTC approved instructor course, I can’t think of any better illustration of the way we have made training a mainstream activity in cycling policy. Incidentally the sharp eyed amongst you might also notice how we are teaching instructors to use the whole lane, not just stick into the cycle lane.
- KM Now we move to the effects developing high quality cycle training has brought - both to cycling as whole and to our organisations. Actually when we were creating this chart Bea said we should forget the country labels at the top. These might be the headline findings chosen by each country in their public materials, but we regard them as almost interchangable. Its so important to pick out that now we have ben able to put the safety element of cyclist training in context. For so many years cyclist training has been a response to danger, something that can be chosen to deal with the cyclists as a victim. But when we acknowledge that many non cyclists are frightened of the roads, or parents are frightened for their children then we can recognise that the purpose of training isn‘t to make them more scared and it becomes a tool of empowerment, a form of personal marketing of cycling. Its also quite a useful tool when trying to discourage police and government from wasting time and money on the infamous traffic light jumping cyclists, you can suggest they invest more in training instead.
- KM And for us. I only has to spend a short time talking not only to IG Velo but other NGOs, government groups, companies and charities to hear about the effect delivering training can have on your organisation. Profile, income, relationships, influence – all qualities that are so hard to come by. At a personal level I cannot empaphise enough what and impact this has had on our lobbying effectiveness. Campaigning NGOs cannot help but be seen as voices shouting from the outside of government. But deliverying a programme like this enables you to pass on your experiences of what cycling should be like, but you can do it as a respected partner, part of the future of cycling, not just a group of complainers.
- KM And having established ourselves as training organisations both CTC and IG Velo now work to help others get started. IG Velo have helped schemes establish themselves throughout Switzerland and are now working with some international partners to spread their techniques. They have set up a tailored mentoring programme which they can take their CTC’s route has been a bit different, we have in effect become a government partner being paid to support the development of cyclists training in other organisations, especially local councils. A very important part of this has been the availability of training grants to help new or retraining instructors and subsidised consultancy which lets us send a specialist out to local schemes. Between us we believe we have now gathered together unique expertise in setting up cyclist training courses to get the maximum benefit I terms of safety and promotion and we are committed to working together to make this best practice transferable.
- KM So to summarise. Despite evolving in completely different environments we have reached almost identical conclusions about effective cycle training in the UK and Switzerland. We do not believe this is a coincidence, we believe this is because what we do has been tested across a range of markets, of clients, of situations – and it works. And now we would like to leave you with two thoughts. It doesn’t just work for us – it can work in many different marketplaces. And we hope though our shared experience you won’t have to go through our learning curve – that you can build on our experience which we are very willing to share through knowledge transfer programmes. And our second thought we felt we could best share with you in pictures. Let us finish by giving you a feeling of what cycle training can do for you This is an activity which is overwhelmingly positive, when you run cyclist training courses you never get tired of people smiling, people going places they have never been before, empowering themselves, of saying thank you.
- KM And in case you wonder, the last photo is our Minister of Transport at a CTC training event. And yes – he has passed his test!
- KM And in case you wonder, the last photo is our Minister of Transport at a CTC training event. And yes – he has passed his test!