UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson rolled out places for a “cycling and walking revolution” to help people move around towns and boost public health.
The plans come as officials attempt to help improve public health based on people’s renewed interest in travelling by bike and on foot during the coronavirus pandemic.
The plans will be financed by £2 billion ($2.58 billion) of “new money” previously disclosed by the government.
Comprehensive in their scope, the plans consist of initiatives such as: cycling training for children and adults if they want it; creating an extensive network of protected bike routes; and building “low-traffic neighbourhoods.”
Moreover, the UK government will lead a project in some areas of “poor health rates” to urge doctors to recommend cycling to patients through a bike lending scheme.
The government also released 50,000 vouchers worth £50 to enable cyclists in England to fix their bikes and use them again on the road.
In his statement last Tuesday, Johnson considered cycling and walking as having “a huge role to play in tackling some of the biggest health and environmental challenges that we face.”
Xavier Brice, the CEO of Sustrans, a charity focused on cycling and walking, describes the new plans as “a big step forward” by the UK government.
“By helping more people to leave the car at home for shorter journeys, this package of measures will cut pollution, tackle the causes of poor health, and improve the safety of our streets,” he added.
The coronavirus pandemic has already changed the way people move about towns and cities. Public transport use in the UK has declined dramatically, while some parts of the country modified their layout to make it easier for people to get around by bike or by walking.
In the UK capital, for example, the “Streetspace for London” program has seen sidewalks expanded and temporary bike lanes set up.
The government will also reveal details of a new obesity strategy on Monday. This involves banning online and television ads for “unhealthy” food before 9PM as well as the removal of buy one get one free offers for foods with high sugar and fat content.
UK reopening plan
UK rolled out its reopening plan in early May. The initial tentative steps to ease some coronavirus lockdown measures aimed to slowly resume the public life and the economy.
The plan encourages citizens who cannot work from home to return to work. However, they must avoid using public transportation. People are allowed to take unlimited amounts of exercise.
A survey suggested that Britain’s economy may worsen as businesses reported a dramatic decline in demand during a nationwide lockdown.
The IHS Markit/CIPS Flash UK Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped to a new record low of 12.9 from 36.0 in March. It is not close to the lowest forecast in a Reuters poll of economists that had generated a reading of 31.4.
“The dire survey readings will inevitably raise questions about the cost of the lockdown, and how long current containment measures will last,” Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit, said.
