Nearly three in ten London drivers are cycling more or seriously considering it due to soaring fuel prices, a survey suggests. A further 15 per cent of respondents intend to switch to two wheels if pump prices continue to climb.Young Londoners are spearheading this shift, with 44 per cent of motorists aged 18-34 in the capital already cycling more or contemplating it. The poll was commissioned by e-bike rental company Lime.The escalating cost of fuel is linked to Iran’s restrictions on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This has pushed the average price of a litre of petrol up by 26p and diesel by 44p at UK forecourts since the conflict began on 28 February.Alice Pleasant, senior public affairs manager at Lime, acknowledged that while cycling "won’t replace every journey", for many it presents a "practical, low-cost way to get to where they need to go".Young Londoners are driving the shift to two wheels, with 44 per cent of motorists in the capital aged 18-34 cycling more or considering it, the poll commissioned by e-bike rental company Lime indicated (AFP/Getty)She went on: “Rising petrol prices are the latest in a number of factors prompting a shift in how Londoners travel, with many drivers actively rethinking their reliance on cars.“More people are starting to look for alternatives that are affordable and flexible – cycling being the obvious choice.”Tom Fyans, chief executive of the London Cycling Campaign, said: “Cycling more is an ideal way to beat surging prices at the pump.“It’s not only cheap and will stay cheap – it’s also healthy, very safe in London and helps us do our bit in not feeding global instability.”Separate Lime research conducted in September last year indicated Tube strikes are also encouraging cycling.Alice Pleasant, senior public affairs manager at Lime, acknowledged that while cycling "won’t replace every journey", for many it presents a ‘practical, low-cost way to get to where they need to go’ (PA)It found trips on its bikes rose by 54 per cent during a four-day period of industrial action compared with a week earlier.A survey suggested 28 per cent of Londoners were more likely to consider cycling because of the disruption.Lime commissioned research company Opinium to survey 1,000 London adults between 8 and 13 April about the impact of rising fuel prices. Some 825 had a car in their household.The news comes as inflation fell for the first time this year in April, official statistics show – but economists warn this is merely the calm before the storm.The Office for National Statistics reported on Wednesday morning that annual consumer price rises fell from 3.3 per cent in March to 2.8 per cent in April.That’s largely because government measures to lower energy costs kicked in, helping lower household bills, if only temporarily.In response to fresh inflation data from the ONS, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “The war in Iran is not our war but one we will need to respond to, and the decisions I took in the Budget last year have kept inflation down as we deal with global instability.“We have the right economic plan, and to change course now would risk our economic stability and leave working people worse off.“We have already taken £117 off energy bills, frozen rail fares, and lifted the two-child limit, and over today and tomorrow I’ll set out the next phase of how we will support UK households.”