No 'significant increase' in walking and cycling in more than a decade in Wales, says report

  • Video report by Issa Farfour

There had been no "significant increase" of people in Wales walking and cycling in more than a decade, a new report has found.

The Active Travel Board has called for an overhaul of data collection as well as focussing government funding on specific areas in each local authority to ensure maximum impact.

But the independent group has also praised funding levels as well as "political will" and "pioneering legislation."

The Welsh Government is aiming for this to increase by 45% by 2040. It said it welcomed the report and would consider its findings.

Mark Seymour from Newport Cycle Hub says bike theft is a concerning issue. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

One shop in Newport is doing their bit to make it easier and more accessible for people to cycle around the city.

Newport Cycle Hub has a carpark but for bicycles and is Wales' first 24/7 storage facility.

Its owner, Mark Seymour, said: "I think bike theft particularly in our city centres and people travelling into work is a major concern particularly in Wales as it isn't a very flat nation and e-bikes for a lot of people are important for them to be able to get in and out.

"So having secure storage in our centre is a vital part of our active travel infrastructure. Otherwise, we can built cycle routes but statistics show that bikes are stolen.It's a barrier for people who cycle."

Dr Dafydd Trystan, Chair of the Active Travel Board, said: “As I travel internationally both within these islands and beyond, the work of Welsh Government on active travel is recognised and celebrated as an example of good practice. Yet, our report presents a mixed picture. "

He said that there had been "significant progress" in terms of investment in active travel infrastructure, but that more data was needed to identify changes in behaviour "at a more granular level."

"We have set the ambition of becoming an active travel nation, but as yet progress on that journey has been painfully slow," he added.

"I very much hope we will be able to report on definitive progress in the years ahead, rooted in innovative and people-centred research that utilises investment in such a way as to yield demonstrably higher levels of active travel."

Speaking to ITV Wales, deputy chair, Rhiannon Letman-Wade added: "We need to have better infrastructure in Wales. We need to offer alternative to the car. We need to better our public transport and we need to offer safe walking routes.

"So the report comes out with essentially nine recommendations for the Welsh government and if we take these recommendations then we can work towards becoming one of the leading nations of active travel across the world."

A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: "We welcome the Active Travel Board’s annual report. We will consider its findings and respond in due course."

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