Active travel

915.  Active travel is low-cost and can improve people's health and connections to their local area and high street, but a long-term approach is lacking. Those who walk, wheel or cycle, rather than drive, spend on average 40% more on their local high streets, and contributed £6.5 billion to the economy in 2021.629 Government analysis shows that high-quality cycling infrastructure, like cycle paths and bicycle storage, can increase levels of cycling on average by 37%, with benefits for people's health and local highstreets.630 But bicycles, particularly electric ones, have upfront costs which can make them harder for lower-income groups to access. Cycle to Work schemes cover these upfront costs, with payments being deducted from wages in a way that is tax efficient and can save money. The government provides funding to local authorities for active travel through its Active Travel Fund. Up to £8 million will be spent piloting a programme to accelerate e-cycle uptake by offering short and long-term loans to people in Greater Manchester. The £200 million overall fund will focus on improving active travel infrastructure, making it easier for people to walk and cycle. However, stakeholders have highlighted that there is a lack of long-term funding and that the scheme will only support certain local authorities. The Review recommends that the government commits to long-term funding for active travel, to ensure that more people will benefit.