The economic, human and environmental costs of inactivity,
climate change, air pollution and traffic congestion are huge.
A new report from the Transport Select Committee says increased
levels of walking and cycling can help combat all of these and
urges policy makers to give it the attention it deserves.
In Active Travel: increasing levels of walking and
cycling in England, the Transport Committee calls for
leadership from Government through more ambitious targets and
increased funding. Ministers must signal to local authorities and
the public that active travel is a priority with long-term
benefits for individuals and the country as a whole.
MPs recommend the Government revises its Cycling and Walking
Investment Strategy as current targets for cycling and
particularly walking, are not ambitious enough. There is also a
compelling case for the Government to set targets and a strategy
for enabling people to get out of their cars and make the switch
to active travel for short trips or as part of a longer journey.
Funding for active travel is piecemeal and complex, says the
Report. The £2 billion which the Government has said will be
spent on active travel in this Parliament is welcome but equates
to £400 million a year. This is a tiny sum compared with spending
on other areas of transport, just 1.5% of total Government
transport spending. The Committee recommends a dedicated
funding stream for delivering improvements which will increase
levels of walking and cycling and increased total funding for
active travel.
In 2018, Transport was one of four parliamentary select
committees, which recognised the importance of active travel to
reducing the detrimental effect private vehicle use has on air
quality. In May 2019 Parliament declared an environment and
climate emergency, and last month the Prime Minister announced
that the UK will aim to eradicate its net contribution to climate
change by 2050. The Committee on Climate Change has identified
changing people's mode of travel choice from cars to walking and
cycling is one way of reducing their carbon footprints and help
meet UK and global climate goals. The Committee’s Report calls on
Government to act on this by giving active travel the priority it
deserves.
The Chair of the Committee, , commented:
“We know that transport comes with a health warning. Road
transport is the single biggest contributor to poor air quality
and is responsible for some 80% of roadside nitrogen dioxide
concentration. Around a quarter of the UK’s greenhouse gas
emissions come from transport. However, by the end of 2017, there
were over 26 million licensed vehicles in England, an increase of
over 35% in the last 20 years.
“We also know that getting active by walking and cycling as part
of our daily routine is good for us. It’s good for our health and
saves on the cost of healthcare. It can reduce congestion,
improve air quality, increase productivity and drive footfall in
our town centres.
“There is no battle here – except for hearts and minds. In
England, the vast majority of journeys over a mile are made in a
car or van. Even for distances of one to two miles, more than 60%
of journeys were made by motor vehicle and fewer than 2% of
journeys are made by bike.
“The Government must stand up for active travel. It must show
real leadership by setting ambitious targets for cycling and
especially walking. It must give local authorities the support
and funding they need to engage the public and make active travel
a priority in their areas. It must do whatever is necessary to
persuade more people to get on their bike, or Shanks’ pony.”
