Brake welcomes Government plans to boost walking and cycling

The Government will update its Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in the summer, detailing how it will seek to deliver plans to double cycling and increase walking by 2025.

Safe and healthy mobility campaigners, Brake, have long been calling for greater investment in active travel and public transport and have welcomed the news.

Commenting, Brake director of campaigns  Joshua Harris said: “Walking, cycling and public transport are at the heart of a safe and healthy future for our communities and so we welcome this announcement.

“When lockdown restrictions lift, there is a risk that private car use will skyrocket, with roads not fit for cycling and walking and people wary of sharing transport – this cannot be allowed to happen. This horrific pandemic has caused a huge amount of pain and damage but we must learn what we can from it and it is clear that people value cleaner, quieter, and safer streets – it is incumbent on the Government to grasp this unique opportunity and make a permanent change to the way we get about.

“We look forward to the announcement by the Prime Minister in the summer, setting out further details, and urge him to focus investment on safe infrastructure for cycling and walking. Our streets need to be designed for the needs of people, not motor traffic.”