Pedalling our wares at Y Farchnad

Road transport at 31% is the biggest source of UK carbon pollution and cycling has a key part to play in reducing this percentage as part of an integrated and sustainable transport system, a system which enables people to travel without always having to use a car.

The Climate Cymru network brings together a wide range of organisations across Wales working to address this and the wider nature and climate emergency.

As a partner organisation we were pleased to have an invitation so early in this Senedd term to join them at Y Farchnad, a marketplace set up in the heart of the Senedd. A great opportunity for us to speak to newly elected Members of the Senedd from all parties about our vision for cycling in Wales.

Whatever your politics it feels like an exciting time in Wales for those of us lobbying for change. The atmosphere at Y Farchand reflected that, with MSs eager to meet with a wide range of organisations lobbying for change on a variety of issues.

For the first time since devolution Plaid Cymru forms the government in Wales rather than Welsh Labour and we’re still finding out what this might mean for cycling.

As my colleague Tomos outlined: “Plaid Cymru’s manifesto contained several welcome commitments on active travel. The party promised to put active travel ‘at the heart of Wales’s transport system’, with safe and accessible routes for people to walk, wheel and cycle.”

Plaid Cymru is, however, a minority government, choosing not to form a coalition or have any formal arrangements with other parties.

This will mean that compromises will have to be negotiated and so, as well as lobbying the government, we’ll also be working hard to ensure that investment in walking, wheeling and cycling is not forgotten when those discussions between parties are happening.

What we want from Welsh Government

Our election manifesto called for walking, wheeling and cycling to be treated as core parts of the transport system, backed by sustained investment, clearer delivery expectations, better reporting on outcomes, safer roads, and with active travel properly integrated with public transport.

As a cycling charity, we believe cycling is part of the solution to many of society’s biggest challenges. Transport emissions remain a major contributor to climate change, and enabling more people to make everyday journeys by bike can not only help reduce emissions but also improve health, support local economies and make our communities more liveable.

Y Farchnad

These were the messages we took to Y Farchnad and were able to share with many of the newly elected MSs who came to talk to us.

Our asks were well received and especially so during conversations in which Senedd members reflected on the barriers they face when going about their own daily lives. While MSs may have more resources available than many, they are also people navigating challenges we all face when deciding how to travel.

One MS told us that he would happily get the train from his constituency but, because the link from Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay isn’t straightforward, he reluctantly uses his car.

Others spoke of cycle infrastructure that stops just when it is most needed; routes on which families walk and cycle that are spoiled by fumes from motor vehicles; hire bikes that don’t work well for people travelling with children; and paths that feel unsuitable after dark.

These are not abstract policy problems: they shape whether people feel able to choose active travel at all.

My ride. Our right – Fy Nhaith Ein Hawl

Some of these barriers are ones that women disproportionately face, as we highlight in our women’s safety campaign ‘My ride. Our right’.

We look forward to working with MSs who expressed a particular interest in these issues to raise awareness within the Senedd and most importantly to help ensure that active travel interventions are ones that work for all.

Active travel must be built in from the start

Wales faces some major infrastructure challenges particularly around the M4 corridor and Menai crossings. Mark Hooper MS, the Deputy Minister for Transport, has spoken about the government’s determination to come up with deliverable solutions.

I managed to grab a few minutes with him at Y Farchnad and was pleased to hear that active travel is high on his agenda, as I stressed the need to ensure that cycling is not forgotten as part of the solution to these major transport challenges.

James Brown, an urban designer reflecting on an event about the South Wales metro’ said: “True equity in regional growth means ensuring the Metro doesn’t stop at the station platform.

“We must aggressively fund ‘last-mile’ infrastructure – creating a seamless, integrated network of landscape improvements, active travel corridors and regulated bus networks that feed the rail hubs.”

Investing in cycling to enable those last miles is relatively cheap and has real potential to link people up with bus and train networks, as well as to enable us to do the shorter journeys by bike. Without workable links to public transport too many people will feel that they have no choice but to use their car.

What next

As well as conversations at Y Farchand we have had really positive email responses from MSs from all the political parties represented in the Senedd. We are looking to set up meetings not just with ministers but with all these MSs to further discuss how we can work together on ‘My ride. Our right’ and wider cycle advocacy issues.

What many Members of the Senedd told us was that they are keen to hear about issues in their constituencies, so we will be working with members of the Cycle Advocacy Network and other supporters to identify the best ways in which they can engage with their elected representatives.

Responsibility for delivery of active travel improvements lies with Local Authorities which are currently consulting on their active travel network maps – we will be encouraging people across Wales to help inform the future of walking and cycling routes where they live.

If Wales is serious about tackling climate change, improving public health and creating fairer, more connected communities, active travel needs to be at the heart of many conversations from day one and we’ll be doing all we can to ensure that is.