Cycling UK reacts to Public Accounts Committee report on active travel

Sarah Mitchell, chief executive of Cycling UK, said:

“Three years ago, the Government’s inspiring vision and ambition to increase levels of cycling and walking were widely supported, because the environmental, public health and economic benefits of doing that are huge.

“But hope is not a strategy, and sadly it was inevitable that the Public Accounts Committee would conclude that the Government’s decision to reduce dedicated funding for active travel by two thirds will further affect its ability to reach its own targets for increasing levels of active travel.

“And as the Committee also highlighted, the consequences of reduced funding are amplified because local authorities are held back from delivering successful schemes due to the uncertainty around future funding.

“Councils, professionals working in this field, the Local Government Association, the National Audit Office and numerous others have repeatedly said that stop-start funding doesn’t lead to long term planning and delivery. It’s time the Government listened and fixed this, and the Autumn statement later this month is a perfect opportunity to show it’s now prepared to back the admirable ambition with long term, sustained, and increased funding, which is what’s needed to turn the vision into reality.”