Key facts
- Dozens of UK civil society groups are urging the government to promote cycling and walking.
- The groups cite recent heatwaves as evidence of the urgent need to decarbonize transport.
- Domestic transport accounts for nearly a third of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.
- Campaigners are calling for a 'modal shift' away from private cars towards public and active transport.
- Labour has reportedly shelved targets for increasing public transport use and reducing car trips.
- The Department for Transport highlighted investments in public transport, cycling, and walking, and its ZEV mandate.
Dozens of civil society groups in the UK have called on the government to significantly increase efforts to promote cycling and walking, arguing that recent extreme heatwaves underscore the urgent need to decarbonize the transport sector. The groups, led by the Campaign for Better Transport, stated that transport is responsible for nearly a third of the UK's net greenhouse gas emissions, with a 2% increase in the sector's emissions over the past year.
Campaigners are advocating for a 'modal shift' in transportation, which involves creating conditions that encourage a higher proportion of journeys to be made by walking, cycling, public transport, and shared mobility, rather than by private cars. This demand comes at a time when the Labour party appears to have abandoned previous commitments to set targets for increasing public transport usage and reducing car-dependent travel.
Ben Plowden, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, emphasized that the summer's heatwaves and wildfires are stark reminders of the climate emergency and the devastating impact of inaction. The statement, signed by 54 organizations, calls for policies that increase the use of public transport, shared mobility, walking, and cycling, as well as targets for shifting freight to rail.
Plowden further stated that investment in local transport improvements, driven by central government setting overall travel change targets, is crucial. He also noted the importance of increasing the uptake of electric vehicles as part of the broader transition.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport responded by highlighting the government's commitment to providing travel choices through initiatives such as a £2 bus fare cap, frozen rail fares, and a £4.5 billion investment in cycling and walking infrastructure. The department also pointed to its acceleration of the transition to cleaner transport via the ZEV mandate, supported by £7.5 billion.