Cycling and walking coalition welcomes Government’s bold leadership on investment
We are delighted to see the Government demonstrating bold leadership by proposing a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy as part of the Infrastructure Bill. The Government is to be congratulated on this important commitment. It is a great opportunity to guarantee long term funding that will extend travel choice, help to ease congestion and improve our health and our environment.
The broad coalition of transport and health organisations that has been calling for this amendment pays tribute to the dedication and determination of the parliamentarians of all parties who have kept this issue on the agenda, especially the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group and their co-chair Julian Huppert MP, who tabled the original amendment to the Bill (p6) and has been instrumental in making this happen.
My huge thanks go to all the MPs who signed my original amendment, all the people who contacted their MPs to persuade them to support it and the coalition of organisations who have helped to get this outcome.”
Dr Julian Huppert MP
Dr Julian Huppert, Liberal Democrat MP and Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, said:
“I am really delighted that the Government has seen the force of our argument and is writing into law the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.
“It is the right thing to improve health, the environment and congestion."
The cycling and walking investment strategy coalition of organisations includes British Cycling, Campaign for Better Transport, Campaign to Protect Rural England, CTC: the National Cycling Charity, Living Streets, Sustrans, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Richmond Group (British Heart Foundation, Asthma UK, British Lung Foundation, Age UK, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Diabetes UK, The Neurological Alliance, Macmillan Cancer Support, Stroke Association and Rethink Mental Illness).
Paul Tuohy, CTC CEO in reaction to the Government’s proposals said:
“This is a massive step towards creating that “cycling revolution” the Prime Minister promised us two years ago. Thanks to the hard work of DfT officials, the All Party Cycling Group coalition partners and the thousands of supporters who have written to their MPs cycling in England looks to have a future.
“Now we need MPs to demonstrate a collegiate response by backing an amendment which can only better the health and wealth of the UK, and with the general election only months away we await with eager interest to hear how much funding each party would put into the investment strategy. ”
Ministers have listened and acted in response to what CTC, our coalition partners and our supporters have all been saying. This is terrific news, a hard-fought victory to which many individuals and groups have contributed. So a huge "thank you" Roads minister John Hayes and local transport minister Robert Goodwill. And a huge, huge "thank you" to every one of you who has supported the campaign.
