Active Travel

Decarbonising our transport sector is one of the most pressing challenges we face if we are to meet our net zero goals. By getting people to engage more in active travel, we will improve air quality, help lower emissions, reduce congestion and improve physical health.

As you may know, the Government has a number of targets for active travel. These include half of all journeys in towns and cities being cycled or walked by 2030, a world class cycling and walking network in England by 2040, and 55% of children aged five to ten walking to school by 2025.

I am aware, however, that the amount of money the Government says it needs to meet its cycling and walking objectives to 2025 is more than the amount it has committed. In addition, as the Government’s own transport decarbonisation plan admits, “rates of walking to school have declined in recent years, causing significant pollution and danger to children outside schools.”

Giving people the opportunity to travel to work, school or college in a more active way has been proven to do wonders for their physical and mental wellbeing. It is also a key tool in our fight against climate change and improving air quality in the local area.

Air pollution is a national health emergency, causing 40,000 early deaths every year. I would like to see a Clean Air Act introduced, which would give people legal right to breathe clean air. We also need increased ambitions for the redesigning of urban spaces and investment in bus and rail, including enabling more cities, towns and rural areas to develop local mobility plans.

In addition, people need to feel safe and secure, whether this is walking home at night or on our local high street, so we must tackle the legacy of soaring crime and anti-social behaviour. We need to rebuild neighbourhood policing and I support calls for thousands of additional police and PCSOs in community teams, so people can be confident someone will be there to help keep them safe.

It is clear that active travel delivers immense benefits in a whole range of ways and must be promoted.