More than £1.2m for Scotland's cycling projects

Scotland’s transport minister Graeme Dey has confirmed more than £1.2 million is being provided to support active travel.

Transport Scotland said the funding is being provided to build on the increases Scotland has seen in cycling over the last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

£900,000 is being allocated from the active travel budget to support Energy Saving Trust's eBike Grant Fund in 2021/22.

Through a new round of funding, organisations will be able to make use of e-bikes, adapted cycles and e-cargo bikes to help meet the needs of local communities, while improving Scotland’s air quality, said Transport Scotland.

More than £390,000 will support Shift, Cycling UK Scotland’s new project for 2021/22. It will also enable organisations to use cycling to help "transform" communities and create ‘"hriving and liveable neighbourhoods" through small grants awards, it said.

Dey confirmed the funding at the National Active Travel Conference 2021, during a speech made on Bike Week ahead of World Bicycle Day 2021 (June 3).

Dey said: “We’re committed here in Scotland to building an Active Nation, where people choose to walk, wheel and cycle for everyday journeys. To support this, funding for active travel is now at record level of £115 million pounds for 2021/22.

“During Bike Week 2021, I’m pleased to confirm funding from this budget to support two fantastic programmes from Energy Saving Trust and Cycling UK. They have the potential to help lock-in some of the positive changes we’ve seen in cycling over the past year by providing funding to businesses and communities.

“The significant commitments to active travel that were set out in the Government’s manifesto underline the important role we see it playing in Scotland’s green recovery.

“We will continue to fund infrastructure and behavioural change projects which can help us bring about the transformational shift that we need to see, in order to meet our world leading target of net zero by 2045 – and I look forward to working with our active travel partners to help achieve this.”

Dey also welcomed a new report from CoMoUK, demonstrating that the Edinburgh and Glasgow free bike share programme funded by the Scottish Government, attracted 18,000 new users between June and September 2020.

Transport Scotland said the research highlights that access to bikes can be ‘as effective’ as ownership in increasing cycle journeys.

The Scottish Government recently announced it has allocated £1.79 million from its active travel budget to support 173 organisations across Scotland.