MSP call to use £10m fund for safer streets

A call has been made for East Dunbartonshire Council to make use of funding to widen pavements and create pop-up segregated cycle lanes to make social distancing easier during the Covid-19 pandemic,
Bearsden CrossBearsden Cross
Bearsden Cross

The £10 million pop-up active travel fund is being offered to local councils by the Scottish Government.

Bearsden man Ross Greer, Green MSP for the West of Scotland said: “Scottish Greens have been calling on the Scottish Government to seize the opportunity and support East Dunbartonshire to help make the area healthier, so I warmly welcome this new package of support.

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“This pandemic has changed how we go about our lives and it will continue to do so for some time. Streets that were once choked with cars like around Bearsden Cross are now largely empty, with more and more families walking or cycling.

“It’s vital the council makes use of this important support as quickly as possible, looking at where pavements can be widened or popup cycle routes can be installed, to ensure as many people as possible can travel by foot or by bike safely, and that necessary social distancing can take place.

“While this support has been announced in response to a national emergency, we’ll likely want some of these temporary measures to become permanent, once we realise how beneficial they are.”

He added that with pavements far narrower than the largely empty roads beside them and cycle lanes 
rare, social distancing has proven hard to maintain for those walking and cycling. The £10million ‘pop-up active travel’ fund is now available to councils to help address this.

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Councillor Andrew Polson, Joint Leader of the council, responded, saying: “We are currently exploring potential opportunities associated with the Spaces for People programme, which offers funding and support during the pandemic. Our absolute priority remains the continued delivery of critical frontline services to the most vulnerable.”

Councillor Vaughan Moody, Joint Leader, added: “It is essential we continue to do all we can to control and manage the spread of coronavirus, save lives and protect the NHS, including avoiding all non-essential travel. The aim of the Spaces for People programme is to promote safe physical distancing and officers are currently looking at the opportunities offered.”

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