The opportunities for safe, direct travel for walkers and cyclists between communities in Scotland are generally very poor. This is a reflection both of the road pattern in Scotland combined with the failure, over many decades, to protect the paths and tracks which formerly linked Scottish communities.
The new Scottish access legislation, with its requirements for the development of core path networks, provides the basis for correcting these problems, through recognising that core path networks should include routes which connect communities. The development of such routes should be a key component in the development of a modern Scottish transport system based on sustainable development principles.
In April 2006, the government published its draft National Transport Strategy (NTS). Our consultation response calls for more support to be given to enabling people to choose sustainable transport options, particularly walking and cycling for short journeys such as the school run. This should be a key element in the NTS and in the work of the Regional Transport Partnerships.
Read our response to the draft NTS here.
Community Links
In October 2005, Ramblers Scotland met the Transport Minister, Tavish Scott MSP, along with CTC – the national cyclists’ organisation, the British Horse Society and sustainable transport campaigning organisation, TRANSform Scotland. We discussed a specific proposal, namely the development of “Community Links”, as a means of facilitating non-motorised transport throughout Scotland.
We asked for a commitment to the development of offroad routes, well separated from existing carriageways, which would provide for direct connections between communities for walkers, riders and cyclists, as well as other non-motorised users. Such Community Links should be established throughout Scotland, bringing benefit to all communities, both residents and visitors. A programme of this sort would need to be recognised as a major transport initiative, led by the Scottish Executive, delivered in part by the Executive as a component of its trunk roads programme, but also by local authorities wherever existing and projected traffic volumes indicate that Community Links for non-motorised users are needed. Every trunk road in Scotland would have a path in parallel, separated from the main carriageway, which may mean a specially-constructed multi use path, the use of parallel minor roads, or other infrastructure such as old railway lines, canals or former routes used by the roads before upgrading.
We were advised by the Minister to put forward this proposal during the consultation phase of the NTS.
Read the full text of our paper to the Transport Minister
Access and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route – read our letter to the Transport Minister
