Welsh gov struggles to get us cycling

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Cycling in Wales doesn’t seem to be taking off in the way the Welsh government would have hoped, but with more plans in place, there are hopes that over the next few years, more and more people will ditch their cars for other means of transport. It won’t be a simple shift, but with the right infrastructure in place, only time will tell.

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00:00The Welsh Government wants people to cycle where possible. It's good for people's health,
00:07it cuts down on emissions, and can be a much cheaper alternative to driving. The problem,
00:12it seems at the moment, is that people simply aren't as interested in changing to cycling
00:17or walking as previously hoped. Journeys by car currently make up roughly two thirds of
00:22all journeys taking place in Wales, which is a much lower number than has been targeted
00:26for a long time by the Welsh Government. Targets have been set at making 45% of all journeys
00:32by bike, foot or public transport by 2040, but the number should have increased by more
00:37if that target was to be met. It could be easy to say that it's only been a few years
00:42and not enough time has gone by to see real changes, but those targets were set way back
00:47in 2013 and have been part of Government legislation ever since. The Active Travel Act was heralded
00:54as pioneering legislation by cycling organisations when it was first put into place, and had
00:59a number of important factors that were supposed to get people cycling and walking more often.
01:05It puts an emphasis on local authorities taking responsibility for maintaining and improving
01:10cycle lanes and footpaths, and was supposed to be the big stepping stone on seeing meaningful
01:15change in people's travel habits. A recent independent report from the Active Travel
01:20Board though, has found that there has been no significant improvements in over a decade,
01:25but said more local initiatives have shown positive signs. One of those local initiatives
01:30is here in Newport at the 24-hour Cycle Hub behind me, where people can store their bikes
01:34for £1.50 a day, and has encouraged more people to cycle into town. This though is
01:39clearly not enough to overhaul people's behaviour. Another recommendation from the
01:43Active Travel Board call on a more targeted approach and focus on just a few towns in
01:48local areas to test, and uses a blueprint for additional cycling and walking infrastructure.
01:54It also says that the highly controversial 20mph speed limit changes have seen a positive
01:59impact, seemingly putting people off driving through areas with lower speed limits. While
02:06this wasn't the first priority of the 20mph change, it can certainly be seen as a welcome
02:11by-product of the plan. Figures show that Wales is now spending £19 per head on active
02:17travel around the country, compared to just £12 in England. So, funding clearly doesn't
02:23seem to be the problem, and the report says that what the Welsh Government is doing can
02:28be seen as an example of good practice, but the problems seem to lie with people simply
02:33not wanting to change their transport habits, despite opportunities. Whether any additional
02:39plans could help people cycle, or if costs and speed limits or extra cycle lanes or any
02:45other infrastructure will see any impact, the future remains to be seen. But with no
02:49significant changes in the last decade, and targets quickly approaching, changes need
02:54to be seen soon, if they're going to come at all.

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