Labour government to invest "unprecedented levels of funding" in cycling

In an encouraging interview for those concerned by Labour's lack of emphasis on plans for active travel during the election campaign and in the aftermath of their landslide victory, new Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has pledged the government will invest "unprecedented levels of funding" in cycling and walking, as well as developing a new road safety strategy.

Speaking to Laura Laker for a piece in the Guardian, Haigh explained how active travel would form an important part of the government's approach to improving health and the environment, adding that "walking and cycling and moving more are essential to solving both of these in the immediate term and in the long term".

"There's lots of evidence to show that will reduce the number of GP appointments by hundreds of thousands, if not millions," Haigh said. "We absolutely want to make sure that we invest at unprecedented levels.

Last week, the head of the Department for Transport joined road.cc contributor and active travel author/journalist Laura Laker on a Trans-Pennine Trail (N62) cycle, along with Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman.

At the heart of Haigh's active travel plans, which were notably quiet during Labour's election campaign and first days in office, is that it is "utterly essential to develop our national integrated transport strategy". She also expressed a desire to move to a model of long-term funding settlements like what roads and rail enjoy, rather than the current system which has "pitted councils against each other" in a bidding system.

"We just want to make sure that the funding is delivered where it's needed… rather than where they've got the best bid writers, and where they've been good at hoovering up resources," Haigh explained, hoping that a move to a long-term funding model could make planning and delivery of higher quality, and joined up, active travel projects easier.

"Cycle lanes and active travel work isn't properly joined up," she suggested. "It [transport and active travel] has knock-on effects everywhere else: it gets people healthier, it reduces the burden on the NHS because people are living healthier lives for longer.

"I am here to make sure that education can deliver those educational opportunities and make sure that people from all backgrounds can achieve no matter what postcode they're brought up in. [Transport is] … essential for delivering growth and obviously net zero and safer streets, safety on public transport networks, safety for women cycling down dark alleyways: they can't do any of it without transport."

An internal review into transport infrastructure projects is underway, with campaigners hoping the relative strong bang for buck that active travel can deliver versus roads projects will be noticed. In May, we reported that the last government knew it was not investing enough in cycling to hit active travel targets, a DfT document also showing that the department was aware that "Benefit cost ratio (BCRs) for the cycling central scenarios are in the range 2.0 to 3.1, implying high value for money".

In her piece, Laura explains how she asked the new Transport Secretary about the £16bn of trunk road projects that have been called "low value" by campaigners, Haigh responding: "We're looking at all capital projects, and where that money should be best spent. In a world where there's not much money, we want to make sure it's spent… [to] get the best bang for our buck."

And the MP for Sheffield Heeley appears keen to ensure access to high quality cycling infrastructure is not just something available to those living in major cities and urban areas.

"Rural poverty is a real blight, and it's not something that's really properly considered," she said. "Car ownership now is just so expensive, insurance as a young driver is completely out of reach for a lot of people. So having that access to safe cycle routes is a basic element, is a basic tenet of social justice."

On the issue of her own transport choices, Haigh said she "definitely" wants to cycle more, but has not yet in London.

"I've not cycled in London. I don't know why, because it's obviously super flat. I definitely do want to get into it more, not least because I don't have time to get to the gym. So it's a really good alternative… I'm afraid now I have my ministerial car, I don't know whether Dennis [her driver] would let me, he might have to drive alongside me or something ridiculous," she said.

Last month, Cycling UK called on the newly elected Labour government to put "divisive rhetoric" around active travel to bed "once and for all" with "coherent and committed" investment for cycling.

The cycling charity asked for 10 per cent of the total transport budget to be allocated to cycling and walking, while also moving away from the culture warring and "divisive rhetoric" around the topic stirred by the previous government.

And responding to Haigh's investment pledge, Cycling UK's director of external affairs Sarah McMonagle said: "We are thrilled that the Transport Secretary has made a firm commitment to 'unprecedented levels of funding'. By embracing a shift towards active travel, the government has begun to lay the foundations for a future where everyone has access to clean air, safer streets, and a more sustainable way of getting around.

"For decades, Cycling UK has stressed the potential for cycling to not only improve public health, but address the climate crisis head-on, boost the economy, and help to ease the cost-of-living crisis for everyone. Research by the IPPR, supported by Cycling UK, revealed that at least 10 percent of the total transport budget should be dedicated to active travel within five years to ensure that these benefits are realised.

"We know from working with communities that public support is strong, and we have a clear roadmap to create happier, healthier, greener lives through cycling. We hope to see the government translate these positive words into firm spending commitments for active travel in the forthcoming Autumn Budget."

Recently, Haigh was labelled as a "new convert" for cycling, as a few months after she made controversial comments about cycling, which she later described as a "light-hearted joke", she finally got round to travelling through her Sheffield constituency by e-bike, which she says has the potential to "make all the difference" in encouraging even those wary of the city's hills to cycle more.

> Is Labour's shadow transport secretary cycling's latest convert? Louise Haigh says e-bikes "make all the difference", months after backlash over controversial cycling comments

In remarks to Department for Transport staff when she first took over the job, Haigh called efforts to make transport more environmentally friendly "the critical thread weaving through every priority".

"A huge amount has been achieved through your work on the switch to zero emission vehicles and sustainable aviation fuels, and we are looking forward to building on that," she told them. "But we will also get straight to work on our plans to make public transport and active travel much more attractive choices."