11 January 2012
Government told to Get On Yer Bike!
Around 350 cyclists got on their bikes and took action on Wednesday 11th January 2012, gathering in front of the headquarters of the Scottish Government to protest proposed plans to slash government spending on active travel (walking and cycling).
The Chair of 'Stop Climate Chaos Scotland', Tom Ballantine, personally delivered a letter, addressed to John Swinney MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Finance), calling for the Scottish Government to invest in cycling, walking and low carbon transport and fully fund its own plans to meet Scotland's climate change targets.
The strong crowd that gathered sent a clear message to the Scottish Government: that the proposed cuts, calculated at approximately 33%, are not acceptable and people in Scotland want an urgent change in the way public funds are being spent on transport. The Government need to fund better and safer cycling paths and invest in walking rather than building expensive roads which increase carbon emissions, increase Scotland's carbon footprint and are a step in the wrong direction for sustainable transport.
Scotland has shown global leadership by setting the most ambitious emission reduction targets in the world. But the Scottish Climate Change Act can only set a good example if Scotland actually achieves what we are committed to — and that is now seriously under threat.
The 'Get On Yer Bike!' demo was also supported by cycling ace Chris Boardman MBE, Britain's most successful cyclist to date. Chris Boardman said:
"It's great to see that so many people in Scotland are enthusiastic about cycling as a low-carbon form of transport. We all have a responsibility to help tackle global warming and this is a clean, healthy way to help reduce our carbon emissions. To get people on their bikes, and make sure Scotland plays its part in addressing climate change, there needs to be proper investment in cycling infrastructure."