UK Government’s £1.2bn cycling and walking plan
The UK Government has published a £1.2bn plan to promote more cycling and walking. In a statement issued today (21 April), the Department for Transport (DFT) said: “The government wants cycling and walking to become the norm by 2040 and will target funding at innovative ways to encourage people onto a bike or to use their own 2 feet for shorter journeys.”
The £1.2 billion is allocated as follows:
- £50m to provide cycling proficiency training for further 1.3m children
- £101m to improve cycling infrastructure and expand cycle routes between the city centres, local communities, and key employment and retail sites
- £85m to make improvements to 200 sections of roads for cyclists
- £80m for safety and awareness training for cyclists, extra secure cycle storage, bike repair, maintenance courses and road safety measures
- £389.5m for councils to invest in walking and cycling schemes
- £476.4m from local growth funding to support walking and cycling
The first item on the shopping list may not be of immediate relevance to the delivery industry – although it may help to create more potential cycle couriers for the future. All the investment in cycling infrastructure, however, may help to make using pedal bikes, as well as electric bikes and trikes, a more viable proposition for city logistics.
Click here to download a copy of the plan (hosted on the DFT website).
