Last year I wrote a post on the need for more cycle parking facilities in Edinburgh, so I am pleased to see the Scottish Government is giving a grant of £208,000 to the cycle charity Sustrans to increase cycle parking at hospitals, universities and colleges. This is a sign of progress and is to be welcomed, however, it is mainly targeting areas which should already be providing cycle parking as standard. But there is a need to go further, secure cycle parking needs to be made available in town centres, shopping centres, retail parks and also where people live (we don’t all have a garage to hand). At least this grant shows some recognition by the Scottish Government that a lack of secure storage for bikes is a common obstacle to encouraging everyday cycling. Hopefully there will be more to come, along with a recognition that there is a need for secure storage at home as well. According to the UK Government’s Home Office, over half of all bicycle thefts take place from an owner’s property. As more than one Edinburgh resident knows, you don’t have to cycle round the world to get your bike stolen from outside your front door. So, two cheers for the Scottish Government and please can we have more …