Just one in six residents walk to work in the Scarborough area

Majority of residents travelling by car or van

Just one in six Scarborough workers currently walk to work as the Government pushes commuters away from public transport, new figures show.

As the lockdown is lifted and people head back to work, the Government has announced emergency funding and measures to make the roads more cyclist and pedestrian-friendly, including plans for pop-up cycle lanes and distributing bike repair vouchers.

New Office for National Statistics figures show that 18% of people in Scarborough walked to work in the three months to December.

That is according to a survey of employment circumstances across the UK, which shows Scarborough had one of the highest proportions of pedestrian commuters across the 309 authorities that had data.

The vast majority of people in Scarborough travelled to work by car or van – 82% of those surveyed.

The ONS says the results must be interpreted with caution as there may have been a small sample size in local areas.

Fast-tracked guidance published by the Department for Transport has told councils they must reallocate road space for significantly increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians.

In a bid to encourage people to dust off their old bikes, vouchers will be given out for cycle repairs, while plans are under way for greater provision of bike-fixing facilities.

Separate figures from the DfT for 2018 reveal that more than a fifth or residents in Scarborough go for a stroll less than once per week, while 17% do so less than once a month.

And when it comes to cycling, 81% of residents do not manage to fit in a monthly bike ride.

The Local Government Association welcomed the latest Government guidance but said local councils must have “long-term certainty” around funding.

David Renard, LGA transport spokesman, said: “If we are to achieve a sustained increase in active and cleaner travel, councils need longterm certainty of infrastructure funding.”

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