Inside Transport

Would paying commuters to cycle prevent gridlock, asks Alastair Dalton

The idyllic lockdown conditions for walkers and cyclists show signs of coming to an end. The benefits of quiet roads, reduced pollution and lower safety risk they have enjoyed have been eroded with ministers this week reporting a 35 per cent increase in vehicle traffic since the restrictions were imposed two months ago, including a 10 per cent rise compared to last week.

Nicola Sturgeon yesterday outlined the “route map” out of the Covid-19 crisis, which will eventually permit people to drive further afield.

There is no explicit advice in the document to travel by car, but that will be on many people’s minds, considering how many fewer seats there will be available in buses and trains so physical distancing can be achieved.

There may only be space for 18 passengers in a double decker bus – and those planning to get back on board may also find themselves competing for a seat with pensioners and other free bus pass holders. The over-70s in particular are showing a remarkable propensity to travel increasingly frequently during the lockdown, with a 30 per cent rise since the start.

And that’s not to mention the apparently increasing nervousness of travelling in a confined space with strangers, as reflected in passenger watchdog Transport Focus’s latest weekly poll which showed confidence in this north of the Border has slumped to just 17 per cent.

Some experts fear the rush to car travel will increase traffic emissions to levels even higher than before, and Transport Secretary Michael Matheson has warned of gridlock.

But while being able to go for a family bike ride on a deserted road or a pleasant stroll along a normally traffic-choked road may seem attractive during lockdown, how can commuters be persuaded to also walk or cycle to work?

Both activities have increased since the coronavirus curbs came in, with the Scottish Government figures showing walking up by 30 per cent and cycling by 50 per cent – with the latter representing a particularly significant rise.

But they both dipped compared to last week, partly because of rain interrupting an amazing run of dry and sunny weather, conducive to those ways of travelling, which I can’t recall going on for so long in 20 years living in Glasgow.

An end to the good weather – especially if it coincides with increased numbers commuting to work again – would provide a further disincentive to people contemplating riding or walking instead of driving.

However, could a financial carrot change thinking? Some transport experts I have spoken to believe paying people to cycle or walk should be considered. Tracking it should be straightforward, such as through fitness apps.

This could be developed just like staff being reimbursed through vehicle mileage rates for business travel and employers offering a rate for cycling.

Encouraging more people to walk or cycle would also create a virtuous circle of helping to justify the cost of creating more bike lanes and widened pavements, which in turn should attract others to join them.

There would also be a massive health and environmental dividend from increased fitness and lower emissions.

Some would say that’s just the long-held utopian vision of campaigners, but the post-lockdown period presents us with not just a unique opportunity to reshape our commuting but also the threat of what might happen if we don’t.