There was much discussion at Landor’s excellent Transport And Health conference 2024 last week on the value of active travel projects in preventing ill health. My co-panellist Ben Simm has provided a handy overview.hashtagof the value ofhashtaprojects in preventing ill-health. My co-panellistBen Simm has provided a handy overview.
So it’s great to see The Health Foundation, Demos, Institute for Government and CIPFA issuing a joint call to Chancellor Rachel Reeves for increased spending on ill-health prevention.

It is so important for active travel advocates to focus on tackling ‘transport inequalities’. There are broadly 4 dimensions to this:

• Economically disadvantaged groups tend to live in places with poor transport connections. They may be unable to drive, either because they cannot afford to, or because of health conditions or disabilities which make it impossible. Disabled people also face exclusion from many public transport services. Bike-share schemes struggle to operate commercially in deprived areas, and will typically need financial support if they are to reach the communities which could most benefit from them.
• Disadvantaged groups typically suffer disproportionately from road danger and pollution, despite making lower use of cars themselves.
• They also need the greatest support to take up active travel – you cannot just “build it (i.e. active travel infrastructure) and they will come”. People with disabilities or health conditions often assume that “cycling isn’t for someone like me”. Overcoming this perception often requires a tailored “try-before-you-buy” opportunity, e.g. to help them discover whether a non-standard electrically-assisted pedal cycle (e.g. a recumbent or hand-cranked e-bike) could work for them. These are of course disproportionately expensive machines – and the people who could most benefit from them are often also those least able to afford them. The charity Wheels For Wellbeing does excellent work aimed at overcoming these challenges.
• Finally, disadvantaged groups are often least able to influence local transport funding priorities, either because they are time-poor or because of inaccessible consultation processes.

The common factor here is the need for revenue funding. Boosting active travel mainly requires capital funding to improve the physical environment for walking, wheeling and cycling. But without revenue support, we risk perpetuating the idea that active travel is for middle-class health-conscious people – and failing to reach the people whose health, wealth and well-being could most benefit from discovering it.

So I really hope Rachel Reeves heeds the call from the Health Foundation et al to prioritise funding to prioritise the prevention of ill-health. Because a fairly modest revenue funding allocation for the Department of Transport could go a long way here!