A cycling charity has called for the transport secretary’s statement that she wants ‘unprecedented levels’ of investment in cycling to be turned into firm spending commitments in the Autumn Budget.
Louise Haigh told the Guardian that a national network of safe cycle routes could cut GP appointments ‘by hundreds of thousands, if not millions a year’ and that access to safe cycle routes was ‘essential’ to cutting the country’s carbon footprint.
She said: ‘We’re in a climate crisis. We’re in a public health crisis; getting people walking and cycling and moving more are essential to solving both of those in the immediate term and in the long term.
‘There’s lots of evidence to show that will reduce the number of GP appointments by hundreds of thousands, if not millions, a year.’
She added: ‘We absolutely want to make sure that we invest at unprecedented levels. We just want to make sure that the funding is delivered where it’s needed … rather than where they’ve got the best bid writers, and where they’ve been good at hoovering up resources.’
Ms Haigh described it as an ‘anomaly’ that the National Cycle Network is run by a charity.
Sarah McMonagle, director of external affairs at Cycling UK, said: ‘For decades, Cycling UK has stressed the potential for cycling to not only improve public health, but address the climate crisis head-on, boost the economy, and help to ease the cost-of-living crisis for everyone.
‘Research by the IPPR, supported by Cycling UK, revealed that at least 10% of the total transport budget should be dedicated to active travel within five years to ensure that these benefits are realised.
‘We hope to see the government translate these positive words into firm spending commitments for active travel in the forthcoming Autumn Budget.’
