THAME’S cycling MP, Boris Johnson, officially opened the off-road cycle route between Thame and the Shabbington turn today – and encountered an irate neighbour on the way.
Boris was stopped by a neighbour of his as he cycled along the new route beside the A418 Tiddington Road, and told that the new cycle path was a waste of public money.
Boris was quick to assure them that he personally, had nothing to do with provision of the path, although it runs past his house and his children use the route to Thame, and no doubt pointed out that the healthy activity of cycling means less draw on National Health Service, less motor vehicles on the road therefore contributing to reducing pollution.
Boris was helped to cut the tape by Cllr Lesley Legge, Chair of Oxfordshire County Council which completed the engineering work, watched by the Mayor of Thame, Cllr Nigel Champken Woods, Thame Town Cllrs David Laver and Don Butler and Simon Pratt and Jo Hamilton of SUSTRANS. He then cycled to the Shabbington turn accompanied also by pupils and staff from Lord Williams’s school.
Cllr Don Butler held up the rear in his Classic, Sinclair C5.
Sustrans, the UK?s leading sustainable transport charity, organised the launch to help celebrate the fact that the new A418 cycle facility has enabled the completion of the National Route 57 which is part of a wider Sustrans managed network of 10,000 miles of cycle routes in the UK.