Biggest investment in cycling announced by Government Last month two of the country's leading cyclists, Bradley Wiggins and Shane Sutton were injured in accidents on public roads. Others to have been knocked off their bike and hurt include Theresa Villiers, a former transport minister and now Northern Ireland Secretary. "This shows that cycling is becoming a more dangerous activity," said Robert Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety. "We need substantial investment to make sure more people can cycle more safely," he added. Officials at the Department for Transport will assess bids from councils across the country for a raft of schemes such as dedicated cycle lanes, creation of traffic free routes and junction improvements in towns and cities. They will also examine bids from rail companies for a network of cycle parks at stations, to change commuting patterns and encourage greater use of bikes as part of the daily journey. Mr Baker was joined by Anna Soubry, the public health minister, in announcing the latest and largest tranche of cash. "Cycling is a great way for adults to get their recommended 150 minutes of physical activity each week and this funding will help encourage more people to get involved," she said. The move was welcomed by British Cycling. "It is encouraging to see funding being allocated to improve conditions on the road," said a spokesman. We now need to see real leadership right across government to get Britain cycling. If cycling is put at the heart of transport policy - so that all decisions are made with cycling in mind - we can create a cycling nation to rival countries like Denmark.