Compare election manifesto promises for active travel in Wales

Ahead of the Senedd election on 6 May, the main political parties in Wales have begun publishing their election manifestos, setting out their priorities for the next five years.

As part of its own manifesto, Cycling UK has asked the parties to commit to three key measures to support active travel:

• Increasing investment in cycling and walking to at least 10% of the transport budget.
• Developing safe active travel networks which are accessible by all communities, enabling people to choose to cycle as an alternative to driving.
• Enabling people in rural communities to cycle and reducing rural car-dependency.

To help members and supporters see how the parties compare on this issue, Cycling UK has highlighted each manifesto’s commitments on these key issues, and other asks from its own manifesto.

Gwenda Owen, Cycling UK engagement officer for Wales, commented: “Our recent poll, carried out with YouGov, showed that the public, especially younger people, overwhelmingly support allocating 10% of the transport budget to active travel. That is just one of the key pledges we are asking the parties to make, and it is important that people can see how the manifestos compare. We also have an online action which allows the public to find out which of their MS candidates have made the pledge to support our aims, and write to those who haven’t.”

The comparison below includes direct quotes from the manifestos; with a link for each party's full manifesto.

Cycling UK remains impartial and is not offering commentary or judgement on the parties’ pledges.

Conservatives 

• “Level-up and join-up public transport in North Wales, delivering a North Wales Metro which integrates public transport with active travel.”
• “Invest in more active travel options for walking and cycling.”
• “Introduce a Clean Air Act to tackle pollution and reduce the incidence of respiratory diseases.”

Conservatives manifesto

Green Party 

• “[Create] better, affordable, cleaner transport options for all including access to better walking, cycling/active travel. An integrated national transport strategy will: reduce traffic and carbon emissions; improve health and well-being; improve air quality; and respond to the climate emergency.”
• “[Reduce] the need for private vehicle transport with our integrated transport strategy including better public transport, shared and on-demand mobility options, access to enjoyable walking, cycling/active travel routes and finding better ways of delivering goods.”

Green party manifesto

Labour Party

• “Work with Transport for Wales and local authorities to strengthen the promotion of walking and cycling as we make Wales an active travel nation. We will support innovative new social enterprise schemes such as bike maintenance repair cafes and bike recycling schemes. We will develop new Active Travel Integrated Network Maps and work with schools to promote Active Travel and Road Safety.”
• “Make 20mph the default speed limit in residential areas and ban pavement parking wherever possible.”
• “We will invest in travel options that encourage public transport and support walking and cycling – options that are low or zero-carbon and mitigate air pollution.”
• “Set the highest international standards of air quality into law in a Clean Air Act for Wales, consistent with World Health Organisation guidance.”

Labour party manifesto

Liberal Democrats

• “Spend at least 10% of the transport budget on active travel, ensuring that local decision making prioritises safer and accessible walking and cycling, and provides support for people to be able to access active travel with confidence.”
• “Make sure public transport works for everyone. Our Bus Bill will ensure that bus routes meet community needs, ticket fares are affordable and flexible, timetables meet different needs, and bus stops and train stations are accessible.”
• “Build on the success of the Burns Commission, which provided localised solutions to the challenges faced along the M4 Corridor, for other parts of Wales to identify sustainable, appropriate, and lasting transport solutions for communities.”
• “Pass a Clean Air Act in the first 100 days to tackle dirty air and the poor health outcomes it causes.”

Liberal Democrats manifesto

Plaid Cymru

• “As a priority, in our first year in Government we will introduce a Clean Air Act for Wales to protect, in law, the health of our citizens and our ecosystems from pollutants in our atmosphere.“
• “Encourage walking and cycling with a specific focus on access for disabled groups. There will be investment in better pavements, dropped curbs, public toilets and benches and improving public accessibility to amenities such as parks, and public transport of buses and railways. Planning regulations to support access will be strengthened.”
• “[Produce] an Active Travel Plan for Wales with a target for 50% more commuter travel to be undertaken by cycling by 2030. Sufficient space will be allocated on all new rolling stock to enable train and bike commutes to become a practical option on the Welsh rail network.”
• “Our aim is to reduce car usage to 50% of all journeys by 2030, with 30% using public transport, 10% walking and 10% cycling.”
• “[Work] towards creating 20-minute neighbourhoods in all our towns and cities providing convenient, safe, pedestrian access to the places people need to go and the services people use nearly every day: public transport, shopping, school, parks, and social activities.”
• “Require local authorities to set ambitious targets for modal shift including substantially increasing the provision of cycle routes.”
• “Showcase the potential for longer-distance cycleways along strategic road network and other main roads radiating 15km from regional centres that draw significant commuter traffic, for example Aberystwyth, Bangor, Merthyr and Pontypridd.”
• “Make 20mph the default speed limit in all built up areas.”

Plaid Cymru manifesto