BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Laws applying to Wales – including those affecting walking and cycling – will now be made in Wales thanks for a referendum held last week.
The move will mean laws for Wales will no longer be indeterminably held up in Whitehall and paves the way for the country to lead the way as a walking and cycling-friendly nation, according to Sustrans Cymru.
Sustrans backed the ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum held on March 3rd. Twenty one of the 22 local authority areas in Wales recorded a yes majority; 517,132 people (63.5 per cent) voted Yes against 297,380 (36.5 per cent) who voted No. The result was a marked shift on a similar vote in 1997 when the ‘Yes’ vote had a very slight 0.6 per cent majority.
Sustrans Cymru director Lee Waters, Sustrans Cymru Director was a key organiser of the cross-party campaign, appointed its Vice Chair.
He said: “Sustrans has been backing the Yes campaign based our own direct experience of the slow law-making process in Wales.
“We’re delighted to have played a part in reforming that process, allowing Wales to lead the way in requiring Highways Authorities to provide for walking and cycling in the same way they do for car travel.
“It’s an important development for Wales’ transport system that has been held up in Whitehall for three-and-a-half years. Now that obstacle has been removed we can look forward to making active travel a more realistic option for everyone.”
Waters has been campaigning for the outcome since 2007.
