I’ve been following the bicycle versus car debate on these pages for the many weeks it has been rumbling on. However, after reading Rick Jewell’s letter (‘Motorists win hands down’, Opinion, August 13), I feel compelled to make a contribution as Mr Jewell makes some incorrect statements.

Roads today are not built to a width to accommodate cars, they are built to a width to accommodate road traffic – a mix of vehicles, including bicycles. Width consideration is given to the largest vehicles: buses, refuse trucks and fire engines. Most of the borough’s roads are maintained by the council, so they are paid for by council taxpayers, that includes residents that cycle, walk, use a bus or drive. Yes cyclists do not pay road tax, but neither do many tax-exempt cars.

Insurance is compulsory for cars because they can kill. Cyclists can, however, cause an accident, but so can pedestrians and children – but we don’t have compulsory insurance for them either. The responsibility for avoiding accidents rests with the driver, he/she should be ready for the bicycle (or car) that may run a red light, just as they should be prepared for a child that may run out.

Cyclists are not guests of the motorists on ‘their’ roads. The law states that a bicycle must be ridden on the road, so the cyclist has an equal right to the road as the car, this law should be enforced to rid the footways of cyclists. However, cyclists often feel forced onto the pavements by other traffic, so we have the need for cycleways.

Mr Jewell, with his “roads built for cars” comment, seems to forget that many of the borough’s roads were constructed during the Victorian era. These roads were often of a generous width to accommodate horse-drawn carts and allow the safe passage of bicycles. The motorcar did not exist then, yet today these same roads are blighted by row upon row of parked cars, reducing their width on some stretches to almost a third, forcing cyclists out into traffic, or again, onto the footway.

One of the great assets of the bicycle is that like the bus, when not in use, it is put away – we don’t see our residential streets visually blighted with rows of parked cycles and buses, denying children the right to enjoy their environment.

The motorcar was a wonderful invention in its heyday, with great classics like the old VW Beetle giving new found freedom of travel to millions of families around the world, at an affordable cost to them and the environment. Today the motorcar is a victim of its own success, with endless jams – an environmental disaster and huge financial burden on our NHS (and therefore the taxpayer) because of the countless injuries and deaths caused by them.

Modern cars are cleaner, but numbers are so large today that our air quality seems no better. They may be safer inside for the occupants, but they sure are more dangerous for those outside, being much faster than top speed limits allow, often bigger, with more aggressive styling and performance encouraging fast, selfish driving.

So, like that other Victorian invention the railway, the bicycle is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. We are now seeing new railways being constructed, and I am looking forward to London – and Enfield in particular – having its new cycleways. We will then be able to enjoy both cycling and driving in civilised environment.

J Miller

Hertford Road, Enfield