Active travel a step in the right direction

Foysol Choudhury MSP visits an ELREC bike maintenance session run by Gerry Timoney, cycle officer at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

Encompassing walking, cycling, wheeling and scootering, active travel offers significant benefits not just for our environment but for our health and communities too. It can be defined as travel that promotes physical activity and does not involve fossil fuels.

Recognisable health benefits include reducing the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Walking and cycling improve muscles and joints as low-impact exercises and enhance mental health through regular activity outdoors. In Edinburgh alone, active travel prevents 1314 serious long-term health conditions annually.

A less obvious health benefit to active travel is the knock-on effect of decreased congestion and air pollution, which positively impacts our respiratory health and lung capacity.

Of course, when talking about active travel, most of us think of its environmental benefits, specifically the vital role it plays in reducing our carbon emissions and reaching net-zero goals.

On top of this, active travel also promotes affordable transport options, enhancing connectivity and access for everyone, especially marginalised communities.

It contributes to economic growth and vibrant communities, as active travellers explore local areas and spend money locally. In Edinburgh, walking and cycling generates £262.6 million in economic benefits annually.

Unfortunately, there are still barriers preventing active travel, especially for marginalised groups.

For instance, only 62 per cent of women feel safe walking at night compared to 89 per cent of men according to a recent Scottish Crime and Justice Survey.

Following recent attacks in Edinburgh public parks, several constituents have expressed concerns about their safety. This highlights the urgent need for the government to prioritise active travel to enhance accessibility and safety, benefiting our environment and communities.

This is only possible with consistent investment in safe and inclusive infrastructure such as separate cycle paths and pavements to encourage people of all ages and abilities.

I have been actively advocating for safer active travel with local councils to raise these concerns. I would like to commend the efforts made by the councils in Edinburgh and Lothians to promote active travel and create safe and accessible routes for locals, such as the City Centre West to East Link.

As the chair of ELREC, I proudly support this concept as our team has created several projects such as a bicycle maintenance shed and ‘Granton goes Greener’.

I will continue to advocate in the Scottish Parliament for better walking and cycling infrastructure by promoting the adoption of active travel as the preferred mode of transport, not just for the environment, but for the positive impact it has on our communities.