Transport Minister Baroness Kramer has unveiled a £3.9 million package to boost environmentally friendly transport and improve accessibility for disabled people.
The money will be invested in improving journeys from ‘door to door’, including support for car clubs, an electrically powered cycle scheme pilot and a campaign to increase the number of children walking to school.
£1 million will go towards creating a further 15 car club projects across the country, giving members affordable access to a shared car without having to own one. The scheme aims to cut the number of car journeys and provide a greater choice of transport options as part of the Car Club Development in England programme.
Over £1 million of the budget will be spent on helping to help increase the number of 5- to 10-year-olds who usually walk to school to 55%. The Living Streets project includes activities to increase confidence and safety awareness among children walking to school and a ‘travel tracker’ so they can log their trips.
A £700,000 pilot has also been launched to give cities, rural areas and tourism hotspots the opportunity to bid for funds to trial electric bike sharing schemes.
The announcement came on the same day that research was published to show the positive impact of the government’s Bikeability programme, which was designed to teach primary school children cycle safety and improve their confidence.
Children who undertook training under the scheme said their level of confidence has increased, with twice as many correctly answering questions on where to position their bikes when cycling on the road – a key factor for cycle safety.
For more information about Living Streets, have a look at the charity’s website.
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