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The Scottish government is planning on reducing the already anaemic budget for bikes but is able to spend extra millions more on motoring.
Clearly, the messages on obesity and climate change aren’t getting through north of the border (er, just as they aren’t being registered in Westminister, either).
Edinburgh cycle campaign group Spokes reports that the Scottish Government’s draft 2012-13 budget, now being consulted on, "makes a mockery of the SNP election manifesto of just six months ago."
The Scottish National Party, now a majority in Holyrood, promised to “increase the proportion of transport spending on…active and sustainable travel.”
In reality this looks likely to be an empty promise. But it’s not just because of austerity measures. While cash can’t be found for cycling; oodles of the stuff can be found for motoring and measures that will make Scotland even more dependent on oil.
While investment in cycling projects will drop by £15m, £97m has been found for boosting spending on building more trunk roads and motorways.
Total transport spending rises in the draft budget from £1804m in 2011-12 to £1884m in 2012-13. If the cost cuts go ahead, spending on cycling will equate to less than 0.8 percent of total transport spending.
Spokes is urging people to write to their MSPs – or visit their surgeries – whilst the draft budget is still undergoing consultation.
