• August 2, 2021

UK unveils £338 million package to boost cycling and walking across the country

LONDON Aug 2: The UK government has unveiled a 338 million pound (USD 472 million) package in an effort to boost cycling and walking across the country, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced.

According to the announcement on Friday, the funding will help see the construction of hundreds of miles of new high-quality cycle lanes and aid the delivery of new schemes to encourage walking, Xinhua news agency reported.

Infrastructure upgrades, changes to The Highway Code and new requirements to ensure that active travel schemes’ effects are properly assessed are among the raft of measures included in the Summer of Cycling and Walking document published Friday.

Last year, cycling increased more than in the previous 20 years put together, with the number of miles cycled on British roads rocketing by 45.7 per cent to 5 billion.

Independent opinion polling and new research also published by the DfT showed that active travel schemes are supported, on average, by a ratio of two-to-one.

The active travel boom seen throughout the pandemic will continue to thrive thanks to a £338 million package to boost cycling and walking across the country, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Friday.