New report finds Wales Active Travel Act needs at least £10 per head

The national cycling charity CTC has today announced its support of the findings made by the Welsh Assembly’s Enterprise and Business Committee.

The report entitled ‘Active Travel: The Start of the Journey’ urges the government to follow the advice of Professor Stuart Cole and provide funding of at least £10 per head. 

The report reviews the progress of the Active Travel (Wales) Act which was passed in 2013. The Act, which CTC saw as ground-breaking legislation and the first of its kind worldwide, is expressly designed to encourage more people to walk or cycle.

Upon the Act’s introduction, CTC was dissappointed that it did not allocate a budget to match its ambition, and is pleased to see the committee recognise this failing in its report. Like the committee, CTC believes the “Welsh Government should have a specific budget line dedicated to supporting active travel. The budget for active travel should be used for both supporting active travel infrastructure projects and promoting active travel.”

Roger Geffen MBE, CTC Policy Director, said: 

“The Active Travel Act has in so many ways set the gold standard for how cycling could be, with its structure of network planning, high design standards and continuous improvement. Northern Ireland has recently indicated it is keen to adopt a similar approach, and cyclists in both England and Scotland can only look on with envy."

 To read our previous commentary on the developing Active Travel Act, read our article here.