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Bira cautiously welcomes new crime and policing bill to tackle retail crime across high street businesses

26 Feb 2025

ACT parent company Bira has cautiously welcomed Labour's Crime and Policing Bill but is calling for urgent action and immediate funding to address the surge in retail crime affecting independent... Read more…

Bira warns of 'troubled times ahead' despite interest rate cut

7 Feb 2025

ACT parent company Bira has warned that retailers across Britain face troubled times ahead despite today's Bank of England interest rate cut to 4.5%, as the Bank halves its growth forecast for... Read more…

Free webinar exclusive to ACT members on employment law compliance

4 Feb 2025

The ACT and legal partner WorkNest are hosting an exclusive webinar on how to remain compliant with employment law while making necessary business changes.
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ACT parent company Bira urges Government action as December sales disappoint

23 Jan 2025

ACT parent company Bira is calling for urgent government intervention following disappointing December retail figures, which show sales volumes fell by 0.3% following a modest 0.1% rise in... Read more…

ACT announces new partnership with legal specialists WorkNest

17 Jan 2025

The ACT has teamed up with employment law, HR, and health and safety experts WorkNest as the association's new legal partner.
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Bira comments after BRC release Sensormatic IQ Footfall Monitor Report for December

9 Jan 2025

ACT parent company Bira has warned that disappointing footfall figures for December show mounting pressures on independent retailers, with concerning implications for 2025 as business costs... Read more…

2024 year in review: A message from ACT Director Jonathan Harrison

18 Dec 2024

Director of the ACT Jonathan Harrison has praised the "resilience and adaptability" of the ACT and its members in an end of year message.
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Practical steps to prevent credit card and payment fraud as an independent cycling retailer

4 Dec 2024

As credit card fraud becomes increasingly sophisticated, taking these steps could help you stay ahead of the fraudsters…
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Scottish retailers call for urgent business rates support as gap widens with rest of UK

29 Nov 2024

Scottish independent retailers, including those in the cycling sector, are urging the Scottish Government to provide crucial business rates relief in its upcoming budget, as the disparity in... Read more…

Bira and ACT welcome new House of Lords report on high street regeneration

28 Nov 2024

Independent retailers back call for local leadership and simplified funding.
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More cycle routes would be good for drivers, says AA President

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News

AA President Edmund King has told the Daily Telegraph that more cycle routes would be good for drivers, as encouraging motorists to take fewer journeys by car could cut household fuel costs and reduce congestion on the roads for other drivers.

“Even though we're a motoring organisation, that doesn't mean you need to use your motor all the time,” Mr King said.

“And journeys under a mile and a half are in many ways the most expensive way to use a car, because your car's not warmed up, you're only going a short distance, and you've got to pay to park.”

Fuel prices have begun to rise again, hitting £1.62 a litre for petrol and £1.82 for diesel on Monday, though are still below their summer peak of £2 a litre.

The Department for Transport is reported to be considering cutting the remaining £700m of the £2bn Active Travel Fund as it seeks to respond to the prime minister's calls for efficiencies across Government.

The AA says around a fifth of its members are regular cyclists, with more saying they would like to cycle but are put off by a lack of safety and bike paths. Around half of AA members said they would consider using a bicycle to replace one or more car journeys per week.

Yellow Bike on Road

Replacing more car journeys with walking or cycling would also help eliminate congestion and make it easier and quicker for drivers to get around, Mr King said.

AA research during the Covid lockdowns found that reducing motor traffic between five to 10 per cent was the difference between having traffic flowing or stop-start journeys.

"It doesn't have to be a massive cut, but can make a big difference," Mr King said.

Cycling levels have risen steadily this year amid the cost-of-living crisis, reaching twice as high as pre pandemic levels on some days this summer.

The AA and other groups have written to Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Transport Secretary, to urge her to protect funding for active travel.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We have invested record amounts to enable more walking, wheeling and cycling through better infrastructure, cycle training and active travel prescriptions, and are committed to ensuring active travel remains high on our agenda.”

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