Cycling in the UK can be a wonderful way for families to enjoy a low-budget summer break. There are obvious health benefits, as well as the chance to travel sustainably and support local economies in the UK. Unfortunately, rail companies make it almost impossible to take the low-carbon option of using public transport to holiday by bike in the UK.

Travelling by train should open up many of the UK’s most spectacular and charming regions for low-impact travel on two wheels. However, it is not so easy; most operators place a limit of 2 bikes on a train, and in many cases, it is not possible to reserve one of these spaces. Waiting on a platform hoping that nobody else will turn up with a bike is a bit of a stressful lottery. And this is not just for holidays: commuters face the same ridiculous problems every day. What if you can’t get on because there are more than two cyclists and you miss your connection at the other end? And what if ticket restrictions mean that you can only use this particular service? Do you have to buy another ticket? The situation is absurd.

Even if you manage to get a space, there is often not a lot of room and it is easy to understand why other passengers can get annoyed. At times when I have used the space supposedly meant for my bike, I have found that it unintentionally causes problems for other passengers getting past with their luggage; on one occasion the refreshment trolley couldn’t get through! Not my fault – my bike isn’t huge, it’s just that the space allowed was a tiny afterthought squeezed in next to the loo, and there was only my bike in the space! This is the case even on ‘modern’ redesigned carriages.

We should be promoting sustainable travel in the UK, not making it so difficult. And with two bikes at most on a train, it is completely impossible for a family to take the option for a low-cost cycling trip in the UK. There are so many benefits that this could bring such as low-carbon travel, promoting active lifestyles and supporting the UK economy.

Our European neighbours have things much better and put our rail system to shame. The minimum target in the EU is 8 bike spaces per train. The Netherlands has no limit on bikes on off-peak trains, Switzerland has bike spaces in each carriage on Intercity trains, and apparently Denmark can get up to 46 bikes on their S-trains! This is why literally millions of Danes each year take their bikes on the train. In France in the summer season, trains to popular destinations such as the Loire add bike-carriages taking as many as 50 bikes, giving a huge boost to tourism. What an amazing idea. Our national parks are locked in an endless struggle to manage the problems caused by the huge numbers of cars clogging up those tiny roads - well here's something that might help.

Okay, matching Denmark and France is a lot to ask for at first. But let’s start with 8 bikes per train as a minimum standard in the UK and consider adding additional capacity to high-demand destinations in the summer. The service does not need to be free: there are clearly going to be costs associated with converting existing carriage space, and EU travellers generally pay up to 10 Euros as a supplement. This seems fair.

Please consider adding your name to this petition if you are interested in sustainable travel, promoting UK tourism, low-impact commuting or helping families to be more active and explore the outdoors. Or even if you are a commuter who hates it when there’s a bike getting in your way on the train: I want you to have a pleasant journey too, with bikes stored somewhere sensible elsewhere in the carriage and not in your way!