Got net-zero news, project updates, or product launches to share? Wales Leads World in Active Travel
The inaugural report on active travel in Wales has just been released, shedding light on how the nation can emerge as a pioneering force in this field. Crafted by the esteemed Active Travel Board, this report delves into the status of active travel in 2023/24. It urges the Welsh Government to revamp its processes to ensure that enhanced implementation can yield the desired benefits. The report puts forward nine recommendations, focusing on various crucial aspects such as smart objective setting, data collection, capacity issues, funding frameworks, encouraging active travel over car usage, facilitating children’s commute to schools, revamping data collection in educational institutions, promoting a holistic approach across different governmental and non-governmental sectors, and embracing a secure-by-design ethos.
Dr Dafydd Trystan, the Chair of the Active Travel Board, elucidates, “The long-term health advantages of boosting active travel rates are crystal clear. Nevertheless, in order to actualize those long-term health benefits, we must strive towards achieving better outcomes in the domain of active travel in Wales.”
He further adds, “As I traverse globally, both within and beyond these islands, the efforts of the Welsh Government in the realm of active travel are being recognised and lauded as a beacon of best practices. However, our report unveils a nuanced narrative.”
Dr Trystan continues, “While we acknowledge the substantial progress made in terms of investing in active travel infrastructure, the desired behavioural shift remains largely elusive in the existing data. With the influx of more (much-needed) data, we can pinpoint at a more granular level the interventions that have registered the most success in effecting modal shifts.”
Expressing his hopes, he states, “We have set our sights on evolving into an active travel nation. Nevertheless, the journey towards this transformation has been sluggishly proceeding thus far. I remain optimistic about reporting definitive progress in the years to come, underpinned by innovative research that is centred around the populace and leverages investments in a manner that yields visibly higher levels of active travel.”
The report does laud the Welsh Government for amplifying funding for active travel (currently standing at £19 per capita). Nevertheless, in order to achieve the government’s target of 45% of all journeys being conducted via public transport or active travel by 2040, the board asserts that an overhaul in both data collection practices and funding allocation strategies is imperative.
Furthermore, another report on active travel, penned by Audit Wales, is slated for release in the imminent weeks, ensuring that the spotlight remains firmly fixed on this critical domain.
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