PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
ACTIVE TRAVEL ACTION PLAN (4 March 2004)

That this House notes that walking and cycling regularly are easy ways to build physical activity into one's daily lifestyle, and that physical activity can reduce the risk of premature death and of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, whilst maintaining good health; further notes that the UK's obesity epidemic has coincided with declining walking and cycling activity, particularly among children, and that European countries with the most cycling activity have the lowest obesity levels; further notes that replacing car trips with walking or cycling, alone or combined with public transport, also contributes to transport, economic, environmental and social objectives, by reducing congestion, danger, pollution, including greenhouse emissions and noise, social exclusion and pressure for road and parking space; therefore supports the efforts of walking, cycling and health organisations to promote increased levels of active travel; and welcomes Government proposals for an Active Travel Action Plan, while urging that this should contain a central objective for substantially increased walking and cycling activity, backed by commitments to mainstream active travel within wider transport and planning policy, by measures to improve walking and cycling conditions, including reductions in traffic volumes or speeds where people want to walk or cycle, promotional and awareness raising campaigns, integration with public transport, by support from and identified roles for Government departments and other organisations responsible for education, health, social inclusion, retailing, regeneration, urban and rural economic development, recreational, law enforcement and fiscal policy, and by mechanisms to monitor and ensure local delivery of active travel strategies.

Sponsored by:
Dr Howard Stoate (Labour)