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Hundreds of people called for the doubling of investment in active travel at the Cycle on the Senedd in Cardiff yesterday.
Campaigners converged on the building that houses the National Assembly of Wales to lobby the Welsh Government to fulfil the promises made in the Active Travel Act.
They called for investment in walking and cycling to be increased to £20 per head, as recommended in a recent report by the Assembly’s Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee.
The Welsh Government is currently spending just £10 per head, half of the level in Scotland.
A spokesperson for Cardiff Cycle City said: "We are delighted to have had the support of such a wide range of organisations; it demonstrates how this issue goes way beyond cycling.
"Active travel can help tackle some of Wales’ greatest challenges such as climate change, air quality and obesity.
"We are determined to convince Welsh Government that if they are serious about the Active Travel Act, they really need to finance it properly.
"There is evidence that every £1 invested in walking and cycling produces £14 in benefits, not investing in active travel is just storing up problems for the future."
Politicians from Labour, the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats all pledged their support and highlighted the health and environmental benefits that proper investment in active travel could mean for Wales.
The lobby also had the support of the British Heart Foundation, British Lung Foundation, Friends of the Earth Cymru, Living Streets, Oxfam Cymru, Sustrans Cymru, Welsh Cycling and WWF Cymru, as well as cycling organisations from across Wales.
