PKC told to be bold on active travel

Perth and Kinross Council has been urged to make sure it uses cycling funds wisely.

The local authority was awarded nearly £1.1 million as part of the £30m Spaces for People fund, to make social distancing and active travel possible as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Mark Ruskell said the funds were only possible because of a budget deal won by the Scottish Greens, which saw the active travel budget raised to £100m.

Mr Ruskell has urged Perth and Kinross Council to put public safety, air quality and the economy first and claimed there had been opposition to many of the plans being put forward across Scotland.

He said: “If people avoid public transport in the near future, there is a real danger our streets will be clogged up with traffic jams, causing dangerous levels of pollution and preventing anyone getting anywhere.

“New infrastructure must be visible and useful not tokenistic, such as on main arterial routes which people will need when they start to go back to work.

“It also needs to be given the option to become permanent once the benefits become clear.

“Roads exist to serve people, not just cars, and there is some incredible work being done in France, Italy and across Europe to redesign them to keep people moving.

“I urge Perth and Kinross Council to ignore the retrograde naysayers who are obsessed with 1960s-style town planning and look instead to the needs of citizens.”