The Deputy First Minister will today join the Minister for Environment and friends from charity Sustrans in celebrating our Safe Routes to Schools scheme’s 10th anniversary at the Senedd.
Launched in 1999, the Safe Routes to Schools initiative became an instant success in tackling congestion caused by the school run, and taught children from a young age that walking and cycling could be attractive and fun, and encouraged them to take regular exercise and develop healthy travel habits for the future.
Ieuan Wyn Jones, who is the Minister for Economy and Transport said,
“I am very proud to be here today and equally proud that the Welsh Assembly Government has helped develop so many innovative cycling and walking projects all over Wales. These projects of course could not have been delivered without the close cooperation and support of Sustrans and our partners in local authorities across Wales, and for that I thank you all.”
The Environment Minister, Jane Davidson said,
“I am delighted that Wales now has a ten year history of teaching pupils that cycling or walking to school can be a fun, healthy and often surprisingly quick alternative to travelling by car or bus. It is also an option that it is much kinder to our environment.
“Our Climate Change Strategy, which I launched earlier this month, sets out how Wales will achieve its ambition of 3% year on year reduction in green house gas emissions. Rethinking how we travel is key to this, and I hope that those school children who have benefited from Safe Routes to Schools will continue travel sustainably throughout their lives.”
Our Safe Routes to School initiative was launched in 1999 and over £27m has been provided for schemes in Wales.
A new Safe Routes in Communities Programme replaced the Safe Routes to School initiative in 2008-09 and to date over £26million has been allocated for schemes across Wales. While the main emphasis remains on schools, we are also seeking to encourage walking and cycling more generally within communities.
2010 also marks the 15th anniversary of the National Cycle Network led by Sustrans, who joined in the celebrations in Cardiff Bay.
The National Cycle Network is made up of 12,600 miles of walking and cycling routes across the UK. This includes a mixture of quiet lanes, on-road routes and traffic-free paths that are often a great way to get to work, school, the shops or just for exercise and fun. The Network is available to everyone and passes within a mile of 57% of the population.
With the clocks due to go back an hour at the end of the month, the Deputy First Minister chose this moment to remind all road users of the need to be safe and seen on our roads this winter.
He said,
“As the nights draw in and the clocks go back, we all need to make the extra effort to be seen while walking or cycling, particularly in areas without street lights.
“Each year the number of deaths and injuries on our roads increases sharply as we put the clocks back at the end of summer and the evenings become darker earlier. So please remember to wear reflective items and please give the road your full attention.”
