The Lothian Cycle Campaign

If the Council gets public approval, charging will provide traffic restraint - the most effective route to reduced congestion. It will also mean huge sums in Edinburgh and the Lothians for public transport and cycling (including a £20m cycle network). The government has also promised (if charging is approved) significant funds to get more measures in place before charging starts in 2006.

There has been very misleading coverage in the press, with positives downplayed, and the Initiative portrayed largely as a means of raising money. Official full-page press ads by W.Lothian Council, who oppose the most extensive option (B), falsely state that most of the income will be spent in central Edinburgh, and completely fail to mention the plus side for locals, including tram/ park-and-ride near the airport; later tram extension to Livingston (one of the largest towns in Scotland with no town centre rail station), and reduced congestion for those who continue to drive to the city. Nor do they mention that those entering Edinburgh by rail pay £5-£6 a time (and with no free entry in evenings or weekends), compared to the proposed £2 car charge, weekdays 7am-7pm only.

The consultation has huge implications across Scotland and the UK, with many councils and politicians waiting to see whether Edinburgh goes ahead. If the plans fall through, the whole cause of traffic reduction in UK towns & cities will suffer a serious setback.

The answers which Spokes as an organisation is likely to give to the main questions on the consultation form are as follows...

Q1 - Congestion - strongly agree on all 3 parts
Q2 - Public transport - strongly agree on all 3 parts
Q3 - Options for future transport strategy...

A - city centre only - agree
B - city centre and outer area - strongly agree
C - no charging - strongly disagree

There is also space for 'additional comments' - possible points are high priority to cycle-facilities and to 20mph zones; and tram/bike issues - bike carriage and tramlines which don't trap bike wheels.

Of course, you may not agree with everything in the Initiative, or you may have other comments. We very much hope, however, that most Spokes members will give it strong overall support, and we urge you to do so now.

SPORT 21 REVIEW

Consultation on the future of Scottish Sport - important as a lot of funding goes into making Scotland a more sporting nation. Please point out that walking/cycling for everyday travel ["active travel"] means a much healthier nation, and a better basis for good results in sport. Kesgrave school (overleaf) is useful evidence. Consultation details - www.sportscotland.org.uk then Sport 21 Review.

TRANSPORT CORRIDOR STUDIES - A8/A80/M74

Road and public transport proposals - comments by end September. Details: www.csts.co.uk, click on Final Reports. A commentary from public transport campaign group Transform Scotland is available at www.transformscotland.org.uk/info/publications.html

• Big thanks to everyone who helped organise or just came along to this year's very successful BikeFest and Bike Breakfast. We have 3 stalls planned for late summer. Please get in touch now if you can help in advance, on the day, or have useful ideas...
31 Aug Vane Farm Environment Festival Jackie 664.0526
15 Sep Stall at end of Pedal for Scotland Hayley 229.9835
22 Sep Edinburgh Car-Free Festival Katherine 667.5576
• The next Spokes is planned for mid October - we always have a long gap over the summer, so don't think we've forgotten you!
• Castlecliff Bike Workshop [www.castlecliff.org.uk] has moved to the basement under Waverley concourse. We thank Railtrack for that, for the new Sheffield racks on platforms 11 and 19, and for hosting a Waverley bike-info display in National Bike Week!
• We hope this bodes well for the big Waverley redevelopment - we want a network linking Waverley to the Parliament, Princes St, and the E.Edinburgh (Innocent) route, plus bike parking, hire, etc. Send your congratulations for recent initiatives, and hopes/ ideas for the future to: Railtrack Manager, Waverley Station.
• There is still some mystery over bike parking removal at many Scottish stations operated by ScotRail (unlike Waverley, which is Railtrack), but it appears that ScotRail over-reacted to security instructions on cycle lockers from national security body Transec. Thanks to intensive lobbying by Aberdeen cyclist murray.ferguson@virgin.net, Aberdeen racks are returning.
• There is a new edition of Highland Cycle Campaign newsletter. For a free email copy, contact jon@barneybus.org.uk
• In Spokesworker 02.06.02 a member asked for advice from anyone who had cycled to Newcastle. She thanks our readers, five of whom sent very helpful replies, and a sixth asked her to pass on any useful info for her own use! We're pleased to print small ads, info requests, etc free in Spokesworker, though in the main Spokes leaflet we only take paid ads [£50 for 1/10th page].
• The Campaign against Midlothian's A701 plans holds a protest walk first Sunday each month, 2pm, at Bilston Woods. Details - Joan Higginson 01968.675109. Although Midlothian has officially put off the new dual-carriageway and supposedly now has rail links as top priority, they are constructing a giant roundabout [Gowkley Moss] on the proposed road line.

Councillor Andrew Burns, Transport Executive Member on Edinburgh Council, and a strong force for sustainable transport, has produced an interesting annual report on council transport work and plans. Contact eddie.mcdowell@edinburgh.gov.uk for an email copy, or phone Eddie 529.3606 if you don't have email.

We urge all interested Spokes members to send in their views to this crucial consultation on the recommendations of the Physical Activity Task Force [PATF]. Closing date: 13 September. The background to the consultation is in Spokes 82.

The government has already implemented one recommendation, to appoint a Scottish Physical Activity Coordinator (or Czar!). She is Mary Allison of HEBS, the Health Education Board for Scotland. The Scottish Executive promised in the Public Health White Paper to implement the PATF recommendations. This early appointment suggests they are serious - so it is definitely worth commenting.

The PATF consultation report, and a lengthy reply form, are available at www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/patf, or from the Stationery Office, 71 Lothian Road EH3 9AZ, or 0870.606.5566.

Spokes has already drawn up a draft response. It is on the Spokes website [link] and a summary is printed below. This may help you in preparing your own comments. Also, if you have any suggestions for improving our response, let us have them [to Dave.duFeu@ed.ac.uk or post to Spokes] by 31 July.

Although our response is lengthy, yours need not be. If you feel strongly about just one or two points, or have relevant experience on some aspect, it's fine to leave the rest of response form blank.

SUMMARY OF SPOKES DRAFT RESPONSE

OUR BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THERE IS TOO LITTLE EMPHASIS ON 'ACTIVE TRAVEL' - WALKING/CYCLING

The Public Health White Paper put equal emphasis on everyday moderate physical activity (typified in the White Paper by walking and cycling) and on sport (i.e. generally activity for which personal time has to be set aside). The White Paper devoted one paragraph to each of these types of physical activity (paras 42, 43). However, PATF membership did not include a transport professional. The report, perhaps for that reason, whilst highlighting everyday physical activity, puts most emphasis on PE/sport-type activity, especially for children. For example, in a 4-page discussion of school and college physical activity issues there are only two mentions of active travel, and not a single example of a relevant initiative.

WHY ACTIVE TRAVEL IS VITAL, AND HOW TO FOSTER IT

Most of the population, of most ages, spends time most days getting to places, whether for work, shopping, recreation, school, to visit friends, to visit 'activity' centres, etc. Lack of time is overwhelmingly the main stated barrier to being more physically active, for people between ages 16 and 54, so it makes tremendous sense to foster use of walking and/or cycling for these journeys when possible. i.e. moderate physical activity is being used for existing personal needs, and so does not add a new personal time requirement.

To promote active travel for everyday journeys needs...

• key facilities in easy cycling and/or walking distance
• publicity not just about transport choices but about access choices - i.e. the blend of both transport-mode and destination-choice.
• safe, pleasant conditions for walking and cycling
• maps and publicity so people know routes and useful destinations.
• training for people of all ages in cycle use and basic maintenance.
• Information about the personal health benefits of active travel.
• Information about the community/environment benefits.

The numbering refers to the questions in the Consultation Response Form and [in brackets] to the relevant paragraphs in the PATF report.

7-9 [41-43] Goal and Targets agree - in part

• 80% of children meeting minimum activity levels by 2020 - agree
• adult target of 50% by 2020 - disagree - target is too low, and would cement in place the lower emphasis on adults than children in the strategy. Also, the government already has a higher target, based on expert recommendations, that 50%/40% of men/women should reach this level by 2005 and 60%/50% by 2010 [White Paper, para 122 & Annex A]. Is this target to be dropped?

• Although para 82 lists examples by agency, there are some issues for which there is no existing agency - notably cycle training, where (unlike, say swimming instructors) there is no proper source of qualified cycle-trainers. Thus even schools with available funding, or interested adults willing to pay, are often unable to get training.

• 17 [paras 85-89] to develop & maintain long-lasting high-quality physical and social environments to support inactive people to become active

The absence of cycle training needs to be tackled at national level, with national resources allocated, and then within each local area.
• 18 [paras 90-91] to provide accurate and evidence-based advice to staff who are involved in government policy and service-delivery

We strongly agree with the need to train 'even health-promotion, sport and recreation staff'. Often they see their activity as the all-important issue, not within a public health strategy or in relation to the wider health needs of the individual. Provision of sport/activity/health classes at car-dependent locations are a good example.
• 19 [paras 92-95] raise awareness and develop knowledge/understanding about benefits of physical activity, and provide access to information

In terms of cycling, there should be far less public emphasis on danger. In fact, years of life gained through regular cycle use significantly exceed those lost through crashes [BMA]. Furthermore, there is evidence that one of the best ways to increase cyclist safety is through increasing the number of cyclists.
• 20 [paras 96-98] to carry out research, monitoring and evaluation

We support this objective. But does research show that doubling existing PE provision would be more effective than devoting part of those huge resources to active travel promotion/training at all schools?

There should be a target of walk/cycle training and promotion at all Scottish schools. Some of the huge funding needed for the proposed doubling of PE could be re-allocated to this. Funding for Safe Routes to Schools (on- and off-road, slow-speed zones, etc) should also rise.

Note that active travel policies also increase a school's sporting prowess. Kesgrave School in Ipswich, for example, came top in almost every local schools sports league - yet did not even have a sports hall! The head put this down to healthy-travel policies, (which included restrictions on car access) resulting in 60% of pupils cycling to school and most of the rest walking.

PE classes are probably amongst the least 'sustainable' physical activities in terms of expecting the children to continue during the holidays and in future adult life. They also reinforce the idea that physical activity means going to a specialist centre and doing it there.

Active travel, in contrast, is likely to be more sustainable, because of the need to make journeys. Also, a survey by SportScotland found cycling is the most common out-of-school physical activity for girls in Scotland, and second for boys (after football).

There is also considerable survey evidence that many schools would like to offer cycle training but do not have the resources.

Fostering active travel in children is also more likely to encourage physical activity by parents, who will often participate in the activity by accompanying their children, unlike when driving to a sport centre.

For Colleges and Universities - see below - adult workplaces

24-25 [133-151] priorities to support Adults of Working Age

There must be equally extensive attention to adults as to children...

• physical activity is much lower in adults than in children, and (except females aged 10-40) the rate of decline is worse in adults.
• It is said that healthy childhood habits will continue in later life. But inactive adults today have discarded active childhood patterns
• It will be hard to convince children if they get different messages from the lifestyles they see in parents, teachers, the media, etc. Child lifestyles could perhaps be more effectively changed by changing those of their adult exemplars!
• Shortage of time is overwhelmingly the most important stated barrier to being more physically active for people between ages 16 and 54, and therefore active travel is of particular relevance.

Again, widespread cycle training opportunities for adults as well as children should be available throughout Scotland.

29-31 [Annex C] Indicator: percentage of pupils achieving health-related level of physical activity - target 80% of pupils agree

32-34 Indicator: percentage of schools delivering two hours a week of physical education to each class - target all schools disagree

This indicator should be replaced by targets for on-road bike/ walk training at all schools, and safe routes from main catchment areas to schools. This is likely to be more successful than PE in developing sustainable physical activity and providing 'the necessary foundation skills, attitudes and expectations' for life [Annex C- National Education Priority no.5]. We do not oppose increased PE, but resources for cycle training etc are almost non-existent, and need a high priority.

36 Other Comments

The task force should include a transport professional, to provide the detailed knowledge/experience to fully incorporate active travel in the strategy, and enhance its credibility with transport professionals.