As lockdown lifts and people hesitantly return to work, Britons are being told to get on their bikes. The biggest cycling campaign since the 1970s, ‘Bike is Best’ hopes to pave the way for a post-COVID-19 future of lighter traffic, healthier citizens, and reduced air pollution.

As the UK emerges from COVID-19 lockdown, public transport capacity is set to be severely limited to reduce the risk of further infection. But is a surge in private car journeys inevitable? Or could the post-pandemic world present a new opportunity to encourage greener, healthier commutes?

A reduction in everyday travel due to COVID-19 has resulted in a notable drop in carbon emissions, and it’s making people rethink how they get around. In Milan, plans are in place to expand walkways and create bike lanes to reduce pollution and car use, setting an example for other cities to follow.

Bike sharing schemes enable urbanites to get around in a cheap and eco-friendly way – but they’re often inaccessible to those with disabilities. Adaptive Biketown, a scheme run in Portland, Oregon, aims to change this, letting disabled individuals rent a cycle that meets their specific needs.