25 June 2010
Cycle Action Plan: government ambitions will only be met with major increase in funding
Transform Scotland [1] today (Friday 25th) welcomed the publication of the Scottish Government's 'Cycle Action Plan for Scotland' (CAPS) but said that the ambition it contained - 10% of all transport trips to be made by bike by 2020 - will only be met if government, local and national, provides realistic levels of funding for high quality cycle infrastructure. [2]
Colin Howden, Director of Transform Scotland, said:
"The ambition for a five-fold increase in levels of cycle use within a decade is very welcome. However, we've had government cycle strategies before - and none of these have in themselves been successful in bringing about the levels of cycle use seen in countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands.
"The Parliament has recently called for a major increase in funding for walking and cycling, the most healthy and sustainable forms of transport. It said that the Government's ambitions for cycling will be 'meaningless' if this investment is not made available. [3]
"The one-off funding package announced today is welcome, but it only represents a drop in the ocean compared to the level of investment required. We need to see a major boost in investment in walking and cycling when the Scottish Government publishes its spending review later this year. [4] If this doesn't happen then we can't see how the Government can meet its aspiration that 10% of all journeys be made by bike by 2020. Unlike spending on major infrastructure projects, investment in walking and cycling is generally inexpensive and excellent value for money.
"To reach the levels of cycle use seen on the continent, we will also need to see strong, visionary leadership at local government level. In Stockholm, cycling went from being seen as 'nerdy' to a 'trendy', convenient way to travel in 10 years through straightforward, effective, and consistent investment." [5]
ENDS
CONTACTS:
Colin Howden (Director, Transform Scotland) on 07956 394121 (m).
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Transform Scotland is the national sustainable transport alliance, bringing together rail, bus and shipping operators, local authorities, national environment and conservation groups, businesses and local transport groups - see <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/our-members.aspx> for details.
[2] See <http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/06/25110936>.
[3] The report of the Parliament's transport committee 'Inquiry into Active Travel' concluded that "active travel has huge potential to benefit the health of the people of Scotland as well as contributing to meeting Scotland's ambitious climate change targets" but that this won't be achieved without "ambitious increases in resources" and "stronger, more effective and sustained leadership" from the Scottish Government. Specifically on cycling, the report concluded that the Scottish Government's target to get 10% of all journeys to be made by bike by 2020 (up from 2% currently) "will be meaningless if the Scottish Government fails to match its stated ambition with a realistic level of funding." See section 234-5 of the inquiry report <http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/ticc/reports-10/trr10-04.htm>. The joint Sustrans Scotland / Transform Scotland evidence to the Parliament's active travel inquiry is available at <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/GetFile.aspx?ItemId=216>.
[4] Spokes, the Lothian Cycle Campaign, recently reported that Scottish Government on cycling has fallen within the last year to a new low level of 0.7% of all transport expenditure. See 'Spokes 14th Annual Cycle Funding Survey' in Spokes Bulletin 107 - <http://www.spokes.org.uk/>.
[5] Sustrans Scotland & the Transform Scotland Trust published a new report 'Civilising the Streets' earlier this week which demonstrated how transformation in conditions for cycling can be brought about in a short period of time - but that this required "bold, visionary leadership from the Government coupled with programmes of active transport investment spanning several years." The report can be found at <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/GetFile.aspx?ItemId=277>.
END OF NEWS RELEASE