Cycling UK manifesto calls on politicians to make cycling the easy choice

Democracy is about the right to choose, and to be able to choose freely and fairly.

Elections are a means of delivering that choice – choosing who you think would be the best person to represent you and solve the problems you care about most.

Transport isn’t usually one of the top issues that get people talking at election time or getting them out to vote. In a YouGov survey from March 2025, health, the economy and education were uppermost in the thoughts of voting Scots – transport was well down the list.

However, transport can have a big impact on our busy lives. A good transport system, like a good democracy, is one which provides us with choice - in this case the right to choose how we get about.

Sadly, for many people in Scotland their local transport system is far from perfect and leaves them deeply frustrated.

Too many people lack true transport choice. Instead they are locked into costly car use because buses or trains are unreliable and expensive or there’s no safe space to cycle.

Election preparation

More people need to be given a real choice in how they travel, especially by bike. That’s why, ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary election, we are asking politicians to commit to making cycling the easy choice.

We are currently finalising our election manifesto and have started talking to the political parties in Scotland about how they can make cycling a realistic option for people when travelling for their everyday journeys.

At the previous election in 2021, we had great success engaging with the parties and securing commitments in party manifestos for our ‘asks’.

Most encouragingly, our headline call for increased funding for cycling, walking and wheeling (active travel) was widely adopted in party manifestos and ultimately committed to by the Scottish government.

The current Scottish budget for active travel is now 88% higher than five years ago although Scotland hasn’t yet reached the level of spending that was promised – at least 10% of the government’s transport budget spent on active travel.

We still believe that the 10% level of funding is essential to achieve the world-class cycling infrastructure in Scotland. That will remain our headline manifesto ask for 2026.

Priorities for cycling and better transport in 2026

We will officially launch our campaign and publish our election manifesto in the new year. We would love your support at that time and will provide ways you can speak up for cycling with politicians.

Until then, here are a few of the other themes in our manifesto which we believe will help more people choose cycling:

• Growing Scotland’s cycling network: coordinating the creation of a dense, well-connected and accessible network of routes throughout the nation.
• Safer roads: furthering calls for change in our ‘My ride. Our right’ campaign and ensuring rural roads are safer for people ring bikes.
• More children cycling: safe streets so children can develop their skills and cycle to school, for local journeys and for fun.
• Paths to green spaces: improving our paths to nature and greenspace so we can all access and use them for health and recreation.
• Better transport systems and connectivity: a fair transport system where it’s easier to combine cycling with other forms of transport.

Working together for a better transport system

We’re also supporting the manifestos of coalitions and groups that we are part of – where cycling has a role to play in making a better Scotland:

• A joint active travel manifesto for 2026 – Investing in Scotland’s future: thriving places, healthier communities, and saving lives.
• Scotland’s Outdoor Recreation Alliance – Active in the Outdoors: for health, economy and the environment.
• Stop Climate Chaos Scotland – proposals for climate action in the next Scottish Parliament.

Look out for more on the key themes and news of our election campaign in the coming months.

Sign up to be part of our Cycle Advocacy Network in Scotland and join us and others in speaking up to cycling at this crucial time ahead of the election.