Motoring organisation ANWB says safe cycling should have a key role in the forthcoming local elections because an increasing number of cyclists no longer feel at ease on the roads, the AD said on Tuesday.

ANWB director Frits van Bruggen told the AD that road safety is becoming a forgotten issue. ‘Local councils are not doing enough,’ he said. ‘It is time for a wake up call.’

ANWB research involving over 22,000 members found that 27% feel unsafe while cycling, a figure that rises to 44% in Amsterdam. In Delft, Maastricht, Utrecht and The Hague, between 34% and 37% of ANWB members do not feel safe on a bike.

The organisation on Tuesday will call on candidates in the March 21 local elections to take a stand on cyclists’ safety. ‘We want to talk to local authorities to solve the problems,’ the organisation said.

Difficult questions, such as the introduction of more 30 kph zones, should not be ruled out, Van Bruggen said. ‘Not every car driver will be happy about that… but it is not about teasing motorists or cyclists,’ he said. ‘It is about safety.’