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The government is expected to reveal a £ 250 million investment in UK bike lanes to encourage passengers to go to work instead of using public transport, as part of the effort to prevent the coronavirus resurgence.
Grant Shapps, the transportation secretary, is expected to make the funding announcement during his appearance at the Downing Street coronavirus briefing on Saturday.
There are also plans to speed up trials on the use of e-scooters on British roads, according to the Press Association. Electric scooters, which can travel up to 15.5 mph, are currently banned on roads and pavements in the UK.
The government launched a consultation on the legalization of e-scooters in March and would need to pass secondary legislation to legalize their use.
Activists have called for a fundamental redesign of the transportation system to help prevent a rebound in air pollution levels once the closure ends.
Studies have shown that air pollution can play a role in Covid-19’s higher death rates, with hearts and lungs weakened by dirty air.
In Italy, the coronavirus was detected in air pollution samples by scientists who are investigating whether this could allow it to be transported over longer distances and increase the number of infected people.
Nine organizations, including Greenpeace and the Transport Action Network, have written an open letter to the UK’s secretaries of state for transport and the environment, as well as to the chancellor, local and regional authority leaders and city mayors.
“It would be completely absurd if, after the unprecedented efforts and sacrifices made to save thousands of Covid-19 lives, we allow thousands more to be disrupted by the devastating impacts of toxic contamination,” the letter says.
The group’s demands include wider pavements, protected bike lanes, and the installation of bus doors, bollards, and planter boxes to limit traffic on residential and commercial streets. The letter also calls for networks of low-traffic neighborhoods and that walking and cycling along main roads be prioritized.
Greenpeace UK, CPRE, Cycling UK, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Global Action Plan, Living Streets, Possible, Transport Action Network and Transport and Environment have signed the letter.
Activists also suggest introducing a 20 mph speed limit in urbanized areas and a ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars and trucks by 2030.
The restrictions imposed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic have led to a large drop in road traffic and a drop in air pollution of up to 60% in some parts of the UK.
A YouGov survey commissioned by Greenpeace UK found that 71% of people were concerned about the possibility of air pollution returning to pre-closure levels once restrictions are lifted.
It also found that 58% supported the introduction of bike lanes on major urban roads along with increased government funding for walking and cycling infrastructure.
The letter calls for immediate action to block some of the reduction in road traffic and the introduction of measures to ensure that “when the nation moves again, it does so in a cleaner and safer way.”
Rebecca Newsom, policy director for Greenpeace UK, said Milan and Brussels have already taken steps to prioritize walkers and cyclists in their urban centers.
“There are many things about the closure that people will be happy to leave behind, but clean air is not one of them,” he said. “However, there is a real risk that congestion and toxic pollution will return to our streets as soon as restrictions are lifted.”
