THE NUMBER of people using Basingstoke’s cycle paths has leapt by 40 per cent in the last five years, according to the latest figures.

There are more than 23 miles of on-road bike routes in the borough and the number of people using them has swelled from 727 a day in 2005 to 1,052 in 2010, Hampshire County Council has said.

Cycle lanes were first planned in Basingstoke as part of the town’s expansion in the 1960s, and new schemes have been introduced either through new development or remodelling of the town’s transport network.

There are 17 “counter points” in the urban part of the town that measure how many people are using cycle paths, which are maintained by Hampshire County Council. In addition, there are 32 miles of off-road cycle paths. Their usage is not collated by transport bosses.

During the same period, traffic volumes on borough roads have reduced from 62,931 vehicle movements a day in 2005 to 59,496 in 2009.

But the borough’s cycle paths have come in for criticism from some regular users, who feel they are not linked up well enough.

Students Charlie Robinson and Joe Brown told The Gazette they rely on cycle routes to get around the town.

“They don’t seem very consistent,” said 20-year-old Charlie, from South Ham. “They are very short and before you know it you are on a busy road with cars – there doesn’t seem to be a joined up approach.”

Nineteen-year-old Joe, who studies at Bath Spa University, added: “We really need more lanes with a more joined up approach.”

Councillor Mel Kendal, executive member for environment at Hampshire County Council, the authority in charge of maintaining transport networks, said more people are cycling than ever before.

He told The Gazette: “Although this is still a relatively small proportion of the overall population, it is very much an upward trend.”

He added it is still important to invest in cycle paths despite the small numbers using them.

Cllr Kendal added: “Rail travel receives millions of pounds of investment from the Govern-ment and yet, in the Basingstoke area, just under four per cent of the population regularly travels to work by train.”

Borough councillor Martin Biermann, chairman of the Bas-ingstoke Bicycle Users Group (BBUG), told The Gazette he is “delighted” with the figures showing increased cycle lane usage.

“We believe there is much more use of cycling as a mode of transport rather than solely a leisure activity,” he said.

The most recent cycle routes schemes developed by the county council have been on Swing Swang Lane, Chineham, Brunel Road, Houndmills and Cranbourne Lane, each costing between £54,000 and £151,000.

Cllr Kendal said: “As the cost of fuel increases, I would not be surprised to see more people changing the way they get around.”