A national charity which promotes cycling and public transport is calling on the new mayor of Cambridgeshire to boost spending on infrastructure.

Sustrans has set out its priorities for the incoming mayor of Cambridgeshire and is campaigning to see the county forge ahead as the leading area in the UK for cycling in a bid to tackle congestion on the roads.

Sustrans wants the mayor – who will be elected on May 4 - to invest £20 per head on cycling infrastructure across the county, while pushing for safer spaces for cyclists and pedestrians by reducing the default speed limit across all urban areas to 20mph.

Although cycling levels in the county outperform the national average, Sustrans believes that better results are possible.

According to government figures, 16.5 per cent of adults in Huntingdonshire cycle once a month, with 2.7 per cent cycling five times per week.

The Cambridgeshire average for cycling at least once per month is 28.3 per cent, with almost one in 10 in the county cycling at least five times per week.

The top performing council area in the country is Cambridge, with 58 per cent of adults cycling at least once a month.

Sustrans head of partnerships, Matt Barber, said: “When it comes to cycling, we’re streets ahead in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire. However, with an expanding population we need to embrace active travel even more. The key to this is to invest more in cycling infrastructure and make cycling safer.

“This can be done by designing innovative infrastructure and reducing the speed limit in urban areas. Making active travel safer and more accessible must be a priority for the new mayor so that people can choose healthier, cleaner and cheaper journeys.”