A consultation has been launched by the Department for Transport (DfT) on how to realise its ambition to double cycling levels by 2025.

The government hopes that cycling, along with walking, will become the preferred mode of transport for shorter journeys, due to the environmental and health benefits these activities provide.

Funding for cycling schemes has increased in recent years and now stands at approximately £5 per person per year. 

The consultation will explore how further financial support can be generated, with the aim of achieving a minimum funding equivalent to £10 per person each year by 2020 and 2021.

Transport minister Robert Goodwill said: "We want cycling and walking to become the natural choices for shorter journeys, kick starting a cycling revolution that will remove barriers for a new generation of cyclists."

Under the new delivery plan, specific actions will be set out to improve leadership, funding, infrastructure, planning and safety to boost cycling uptake.