CAMPAIGNERS are spray-painting streets with “pop-up” bike lanes today to demand that roads remain pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly after the lockdown. 

The creative action by Extinction Rebellion comes ahead of a socially distanced protest bike ride to “reclaim the streets” on Sunday in London, Staines, Exeter and Manchester.

The group argues that Britain must not go back to the “polluted, busy and toxic streets” of before the pandemic, when pollution from transport had already been causing 40,000 deaths a year. 

Researchers have also linked air pollution to Covid-19, with findings showing that people who live in highly polluted areas are more likely to die from the virus. 

To tackle both the health and climate crisis, the country must overhaul the hierarchy of the roads “where cars are king” the activists said. 

One activist taking part in today’s action, Louise Wass, said: “This is the time to re-imagine our streets. We can’t go back to the pollution we had before. 

“It’s time to share space equitably, putting people and the planet’s health first.”

Extinction Rebellion is asking people to make their own cycle lanes by creating bike stencils or drawing them onto normally congested roads.