6. 6. Statement: Update on Active Travel

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:20 pm on 20 September 2016.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Julie Morgan Julie Morgan Labour 5:20, 20 September 2016

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Making Wales active and making the active travel Act a reality is one of the key tasks for the Welsh Government in this next term, and we’ve already covered today the statistics and the consequences and the health issues that we have to address here in Wales. It’s good to hear that all the existing routes maps have been completed by the local authorities. Have you learned anything from the process of those maps being completed that would help local authorities produce their integrated network maps? Do you feel that any more guidance, for example, is needed? You said you want to support local authorities as much as you can; is there any more that’s needed for the next stage?

Would the Minister agree that it’s really important that it’s not only the transport officers and departments in local authorities that are involved, but all the other departments—the education departments, the housing departments—because this is something that affects the behaviour of everybody in most aspects of their life? Is the Minister aware whether, in local authorities, those other departments have been involved or are going to be involved, and what could she do to ensure this will actually happen?

I was very pleased to hear about schools’ involvement in thinking about the integrated network mapping process, because obviously this is an absolutely key opportunity, a key chance, for young people, children and, of course, the public generally to have a vital say, really, on the active travel routes that they would like to use. I think you’ve already mentioned the particular groups that you would like to make sure have their say—ethnic minorities—and it’s particularly important that women have their say, because, in terms of cycling, fewer women are willing to cycle for many reasons, and reasons of safety in particular. Living Streets, Sustrans Cymru, Welsh Cycling and Cycling UK, as you know, have launched a joint campaign that allows people to contact their local authorities about the mapping process, asking to be involved in any consultation and any public engagement events. I think it is very important for local authorities to have events, not to only consult online, but to try to do some real living events, such as an audit of an area—an active travel route audit, for example—with residents. Are you able to encourage that sort of event to happen, so that what we finally do is make the active travel Act a reality and that we have a vision that we are driving Wales to be active?