Get Wales Walking, the movement has begun

Pippa Bartolotti, Leader of Wales Green Party, is supporting a charity calling to make Wales a nation that walks more.

Living Streets Cymru and its supporters want the Welsh Government to prioritise and fund walking and launched their manifesto at the Senedd on Wednesday 4th November. The charity wants to see adequate investment and commitment made to the Welsh Active Travel Act and the ambitions set out in the Active Travel Action Plan to increase the number of children walking to school.

Pippa Bartolotti, at the launch of Living Streets Cymru Wales Manifesto, said:
“It’s way past time for making our streets safer for children and adults alike. I would like to see the Welsh Government making a bold statement and putting up road signs in residential areas saying “Children can play anywhere”. If they can do it in Germany, we can do it in Wales. The dominance of the car has decimated our communities for too long.”

Living Streets supporters in Wales say that the Welsh Government should fund walking as a priority (over 70 per cent) and pavement parking is the number one concern for Welsh pedestrians, with 89 per cent of respondents in a Living Streets survey demanding the laws on pavement parking be clarified in Wales. 

Rachel Maycock, Living Streets Director (Wales) said:
“It’s fantastic to receive support for our manifesto from all those who attended its launch this week. We want the Welsh Government to listen to the people of Wales and address the concerns we know they have by ending unauthorised pavement parking and making 20 mph standard in all towns and cities.

 “In Wales only 31 per cent of people are doing the recommended 30 minutes of daily physical exercise such as walking, compared to 34 per cent of people who do none at all.

“Unless something is done to reverse this decline we will have a national health crisis.”