Government announces £338M package to fuel active travel boom

The active travel boom is set to continue with a £338 million package announced to boost cycling and walking across the country.

The funding will help see the construction of hundreds of miles of new cycle lanes and aid the delivery of new schemes to encourage walking.

It comes after 2020 saw cycling rise more than in the previous 20 years put together, with the number of miles cycled on British roads rocketing by 45.7 per cent to five billion.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'This £338 million package marks the start of what promises to be a great summer of cycling and walking, enabling more people to make those sustainable travel choices that make our air cleaner and cities greener.

'This announcement builds on the Prime Minister's £2 billion gear change cycling and walking programme which was announced exactly one year ago.'

To enhance safety for cyclists and pedestrians, a new version of the Highway Code will be published next year.

The government is also aiming to make cycling easier and more accessible through a new scheme aiming to increase awareness of e-cycles and tackle barriers to their use. An e-cycle support programme will be launched later this year.

The government has also announced that the new Active Travel England commissioning body, which will hold the national cycling and walking budget, will begin work later this year.