Scottish Government publishes agenda for 2025 to 2026

The Scottish Government has unveiled its agenda for the coming legislative year, with a focus on the economy and climate change. The plans include active travel, utilising this as a public necessity.

The Government has committed to ‘making it easier’ for active travellers across Scotland for everyday journeys. This will be financed through the Bus Infrastructure Fund, which has a total of £190m in funding. There is no breakdown of how this will be spent within the sectors.

Scott Runciman, Scotland advocacy lead at charity Cycling UK, said: “It’s a relief to see that tackling the climate crisis remains one of the Scottish Government’s top priorities, but the lack of a clear plan to encourage more active travel, such as cycling and walking, makes that challenge harder to deal with.”

Runciman added: “Transport is Scotland’s biggest carbon emitter, and electric cars are part of the solution, but they aren’t going to solve all our problems. They don’t address how congested our roads are, which deters people from using healthier forms of transport, although scrapping the peak rail fares is a good step to making public transport more accessible. With a third of Scots currently doing little to no physical activity each week, we need to find ways to enable people to make shorter journeys more active. It stands to benefit public health, both mental and physical, as well as our economy.”

Active travel has a beneficial impact to health, the environment, and can help spur the economy. Walking and cycling to work can relieve public infrastructure, allowing for more people to commute without the need for more buses and trains.

More people being able to travel allows for more employment and economic opportunities in local areas, as well as the social benefits that it has.

Benefits extend to health as well. The NHS is currently in a funding crisis, and preventive measures, such as increasing general public health, can help alleviate some of the pressure on the service.

Runciman said: “Scotland has been an ambitious trailblazer in active travel in the past, but we need to translate that ambition into commitment and delivery. We will continue to work with the Scottish Government to ensure cycling and walking is part of its plans for a greener and healthier Scotland.”

Active travel helps increase the general health of citizens, reducing the number of people who need to seek medical help. This reduces NHS waiting times and reduces the amount of time off and people not able to work due to medical reasons, benefiting the economy.

Being more physically active has also been linked to better mental health, improving the lives of citizens on a more general level. This is why improved active travel facilities and infrastructure is important.

Recently, the Welsh Government announced changes to its funding for active travel.