West Lancs Borough Council has partnered with Cyclescheme Ltd to provide a bike to work tax free initiative for all employees and councillors.

Cycling to work offers many benefits. It's an excellent way to get fit and lose weight, can save money on fuel bills and avoid traffic jams. Using less fuel will also reduce CO2 emissions contributing to climate change, and improve local air quality.

The scheme provides them with the opportunity to obtain a bicycle, and associated safety equipment, up the value of £1,000 and spread the cost over 12 monthly installments taken directly from their gross salary, providing savings on tax and national insurance.

I'd love to see some of our Councillors cycling around Ormskirk and getting some real idea of the state of the roads, rather than the view from their cars. It would be good to see Aughton Councillors Atherley, O'Toole and Westley cycle along bumpy uneven Prescot Road from Doctors Bridge to Parrs lane and see if they stayed in the saddle! County Councillor Ashton, the highways commissar could try it too. They might also realise how helpful it would be to have forward cycle lines in advance of stop lines at traffic lights, so the risk to cyclists of motor vehicles turning left would be eliminated.

Cycle paths are provided in Scarisbrick along the A570, seldom used by cyclists, who prefer to stay on the road!

Yes, some cyclists ignore what's provided for them, and they invariably have dark clothing too, whereas many of us use the cycle paths and wear high visibility fluorescent jackets. £20 to save your own life, it's cheap as chips. Reflective wear for night cycling should be compulsory. I wonder if any Scarisbrick councillors will be taking up the offer?

What is annoying is the number of cyclists who use the pavements instead of the roads, invaribly without lights!!

I believe from earlier blogs that the Police in Scarisbrick are meant to be using cycles!