Previous Survey Results & Comments

Below you will find the results of previous survey results and relating comments. If you wish to comment on the results please email us at survey@cycleweb.co.uk stating which result you are responding to. Thanks to everyone taking part.

Results of previous spot survey

Question: "Restricting cycling in the countryside during the Foot & Mouth outbreak is un-necessary?"

Result Agree 53% Disagree 47%

A selection of the many survey comments received

This measure is simply to assuage a bunch of idiots who cannot run their businesses properly. As all of us taxpayers are paying to bail them out of their mess they should be giving us MORE access to routes, not LESS.

If movement in the countryside is such a serious problem, presumably we are going to ban birds, foxes, badgers, deer, rabbits, etc. etc.

If you have been into the countryside recently, you will know that there is plenty of driving about, along lanes, in and out of fields by, erm... farmers!

Until the Government get a decent vaccination programme in place its the very least we can do to stop the spread of unnecessary suffering and hardship.

Of course cycling must be restricted during the foot and mouth outbreak, but so must walking, horse riding and ALL use of footpaths and bridalways in the countryside. without this ban, there is a high possibility that the epedemic may have got worse and lasted much longer. nothing is achieved without patience.

During the outbreak I was cycling in the Peak District. The bridleways were closed but I was able to cycle along a stretch of unfenced road with sheep free to roam wherever. What's all that about then?

Cycles should be restricted if/when cars are.

If government,MAFF, NFU or farmers actually believe cyclists or walker spread the the disease,then it puts the fear of god into me when i see tractors around my area spilling cow muck from their trailers all over the country lanes,which in turn is pick up by cars and spread over vast area's that is how much farmers care . if f&m is spread by our puny tyres then it is about time the road networks next to fields were
shut.simple logic suggests it is more likely to be spread by cars and lorries. mind you we are the easy and soft option.

Just innoculate the animals. Let's do the sums here: Loss to agriculture of being unable to sell meat in Europe after the animal has been innoculated: £1.4bn. Loss to the countryside leisure based industries (including cycle retail and wholesale) estimated at £40bn. Sorry, am I being dim here, or did we just compensate farmers massively and loose £38.6bn here? You could build a few cycle path networks with that ... Lets innoculate the livestock, stop paying farmers to stand around wringing their hands in anguish as their stock is slaughtered, re-open the countryside and get on with life!

Many off road paths go through farmland But some farmers have closed rights of way even though no cattle or livestock will ever come into contact with these paths which is not helping matters.

Anything to help stop the misery caused by the spread of this disease. Ironically, the closure of some cycle paths has diverted local cyclists past many farms, coming into contact with cattle they wouldn't have been anywhere near had the innoculous paths not been closed.

Foot and mouth disease is harmless in 99% of cases. The animals would be nursed through the disease and back to health within a month if they were fed properly and managed well. Also, the test for foot and mouth does'nt deteact the virus but an antibody reaction to it, which means the animal could have the flu and test positive for F&M. The government killed millions of perfectly good animals for nothing. They should have conducted a policy of traditional animal husbandry, not this sensless economic slaughter. The idea that a virus can stick to your tyres and not the rest of your car or you (or fly on the wind) is ludicrous. The government have deliberately misinformed the general public to allow themselves the room to carry out the slaughter outwith scrutiny. Where were the animal rights protesters? Why did'nt the farmers unions put up a fight or forward an alternative(other than vaccination)? I think there is a vast, complex agenda at work here, one that sees this as necessary to their final aims.

If you have any comments about this survey please feel free to email me at survey@cycleweb.co.uk.