Walking isn’t only good for our physical, social and mental health. It’s also good for our communities, the environment and the economy.
We support and inspire people in Scotland to walk and wheel more.
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We’re working with our partners to campaign for change in how we travel in Scotland.
Together with partners including Cycling Scotland and Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, we’re making the case for increased walking, wheeling and cycling.
We are campaigning because active travel can help to solve some of Scotland’s biggest challenges. These include air quality, people not being active enough, and climate change.
Learn more about active travel, and how it can help to address Scotland’s climate and health challenges.
Our key action is the Joint Active Travel Manifesto. This has support from over 60 other Scottish organisations. It calls for 5 commitments from political parties to prioritise walking, wheeling, and cycling ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election.
The manifesto calls for 5 commitments
These actions can transform our communities, create healthier environments, and make active travel accessible to everyone.
Research shows strong public backing for active travel projects. Our Attitudes Survey revealed that 55% would walk more if path infrastructure was better. For children, there was a strong desire for more traffic-free paths and quiet routes, at 84%, as shown in Walk Wheel Cycle Trust’s Walking and Cycling Index.
Kevin Lafferty, our Chief Executive Officer, stressed the importance of walking in the active travel landscape:
Walking and wheeling are the easiest ways for people to travel actively. They can help reduce health and transport inequalities and connect communities. When people walk for short trips, they improve their own health and wellbeing. They also contribute to creating more vibrant local economies and cleaner environments. This manifesto is an opportunity to make sure everyone in Scotland, regardless of background or income, can travel safely on foot, by wheelchair, or bike in their daily lives.
The manifesto highlights the need for long-term investment, with a request to allocate at least 10% of the transport budget to active travel funding. It also emphasises the importance of making streets safer by lowering traffic speeds and implementing the pavement parking ban.
Kevin added,
In 2021 we saw record levels of investment for active travel. Since then, we’ve seen that impressive results can achieved with commitment and funding. Such as the incredible paths for active travel in local communities, delivered with support from our Ian Findlay Path Fund. We need to maintain this momentum to ensure more people can travel actively. It will bring lasting benefits to Scotland’s health, economy, and environment.
