Published: 14th JULY 2021

Transport Decarbonisation Plan - walking and cycling should be natural first choice for short journeys

The Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan is today unveiled by the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps MP.

A man And A Woman Cycle On A London Road

Walking and cycling should be the natural first choice for short journeys.

The Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan is today unveiled by the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps MP.

Our view is that in order to help reach net-zero there needs to be a fundamental shift towards active travel and public transport use and crucially, walking and cycling need to be the natural first choice for short journeys.

Xavier Brice, CEO of cycling and walking charity Sustrans, said:

“We welcome the clear ambition to make walking and cycling the natural choice for short journeys and are pleased to see it front and centre of this plan.

“Realising this ambition will require sustained investment in world-class infrastructure to create safe and inclusive routes and make it easy for everyone to walk and cycle.

“Many people have no choice but to use their car because of how we have planned our towns and cities.

"It’s good that this plan recognises the need to reverse this and instead of baking-in car dependency, plan our places on the principles of 20-minute neighbourhoods, and create healthier places and happier lives for everyone.”

   

Read our recent letter to the government calling for action on deadly air pollution particles.

  

Take a look at our list of 10 things you can do to help reduce air pollution today. 

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