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Small Business Strategy Inquiry 2025 - ACT and Bira call for members to share their voice

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on... Read more…

Beyond the discount: Restoring integrity to the cycle supply chain

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.
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Bira welcomes Wales' business rates proposals but calls for key improvements

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street... Read more…

New awards launch to champion Britain's independent high street heroes

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring... Read more…

"Tectonic shift" in employment law threatens independent retailer viability, warns Bira podcast

6 Jun 2025

Independent retailers are facing a "generational" transformation of employment law that could fundamentally change how small businesses operate, according to the final episode of Bira's first... Read more…

Retailers hope warm weather and bank holidays will boost high street sales

16 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has said that members are hopeful the warm weather, Easter weekend and upcoming bank holidays will provide a much-needed boost to high street sales.
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Economic growth surges to 0.7%, but "April reality check" looms for high street retailers

15 May 2025

UK economy delivers strongest quarterly performance in a year despite forecasts of business downturn.
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Communities come together for Local Bike Shop Day 2025 celebrations

13 May 2025

Local Bike Shop Day 2025 brought a wave of... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira welcomes Bank of England's latest interest rate cut

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has welcomed the Bank of England's decision to reduce interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25%, calling it a "much-needed boost" for the retail sector, including for cycling... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira responds to Beales' "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" as iconic store makes final protest

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has responded to the news that the 144-year-old Beales department store is staging a "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" in its final weeks of trading, with giant yellow... Read more…

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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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