Hospitals penalising cycling to work..

The saga, alluded to previously, where a previously existing facility is
shortly to be charged for, for secure cycle parking, has made it's way to
the Scottish Parliament.

Brief context:

Secure cycle parking was set up at Ninewells Hospital with funding from a
Cycle Challenge grant. Following a history of mismanagement by the Estates
department ("Cycle facilities are underused. There is a four year waiting
list for a key") , they have decided on April 1st to replace existing locks
with new keys and charge an annual fee for use of the secure storage. This
has been carried through without any consultation with cyclists and was
rubber stamped by the staff committee. This has naturally ****ed off a lot
of people. Naturally, many different avenues are being pursued

The following is from the office of Mark Ruskell MSP (Green), chair of the
all party Cycling group at Holyrood.

" For your information , here is the text of the motion which Mark Ruskell
has lodged in Parliament. You may wish to encourage other Fife, Dundee and
NE scotland MSPs to sign up in support of this motion. Details avaliable on
the Parliament website, here http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/index.htm
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/index.htm

S2M-2663 Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) : Penalisation of
Cycling‹ That the Parliament condemns the decision by NHS Tayside to
introduce cycle parking charges for staff members commuting from Fife and
the wider Dundee area to Ninewells Hospital; notes that the cost of
construction and maintenance of an individual car parking space is far in
excess of the cost of a secure cycle parking space, and believes that the
development of a vibrant cycle culture in Scotland that is capable of
improving both public health and the environment requires giving incentives
to cycle commuting, not penalising it.

Lodged on 24 March 2005; current

Mark would be pleased if you would keep him informed of any developments in
the campaign, or moves on the part of NHS Tayside to reconsider."

...d