Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 29 March 2012
29 Mar 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Cycling
I thank Alison Johnstone for lodging the motion and for the way in which she has spoken to it. It is a comprehensive motion on cycling that provides us with a good opportunity to debate further what actions and partnership working are needed. As she suggested, Parliament is generally in agreement that cycling should be a safe, healthy and realistic choice as a mode of transport. There has recently been a focus on cycling, not least because of the four fatalities in Edinburgh in the past 12 months, which have led to the recent road safety operational partnership group meeting. That meeting provided an extremely fruitful discussion; it was well attended and there was participation from a wide range of cycling stakeholders, some of whom have been mentioned.
In Scotland, the growth in the number of cyclists has been accompanied by a 12 per cent drop in cycle accident casualties between 2000 and 2010. That was the result of a lot of activity by different partners. As Alison Johnstone said, we have a vested interest in trying to make it clear to the public—as far as we can and with the appropriate caveats—how safe cycling is and how much safer it has become, with fewer serious accidents happening. If we do that, we are more likely to encourage more cycling.
That said, we cannot be complacent. Everyone has been shocked by the cycling deaths in Edinburgh over the past 12 months. When such tragedies happen, we are all reminded that, although Scotland’s roads are among the safest in the world, one life lost is one too many.
I accept Alison Johnstone’s point that the Government has a leadership role to play in making use of our roads safer for everyone. We will do that by facilitating partnership working. At the forum that I mentioned, there were two excellent presentations from the City of Edinburgh Council and Glasgow City Council, which showed stark results in the reduction in the number of cycling casualties—in one case going back 50 years and in the other case going back 60 years.
In Scotland, the growth in the number of cyclists has been accompanied by a 12 per cent drop in cycle accident casualties between 2000 and 2010. That was the result of a lot of activity by different partners. As Alison Johnstone said, we have a vested interest in trying to make it clear to the public—as far as we can and with the appropriate caveats—how safe cycling is and how much safer it has become, with fewer serious accidents happening. If we do that, we are more likely to encourage more cycling.
That said, we cannot be complacent. Everyone has been shocked by the cycling deaths in Edinburgh over the past 12 months. When such tragedies happen, we are all reminded that, although Scotland’s roads are among the safest in the world, one life lost is one too many.
I accept Alison Johnstone’s point that the Government has a leadership role to play in making use of our roads safer for everyone. We will do that by facilitating partnership working. At the forum that I mentioned, there were two excellent presentations from the City of Edinburgh Council and Glasgow City Council, which showed stark results in the reduction in the number of cycling casualties—in one case going back 50 years and in the other case going back 60 years.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
Good morning. The first item of business is a debate on motion S4M-02522, in the name of Alison Johnstone, on cycling.09:15
Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green)
Green
It is often the case that the public are ahead of the politicians. In our capital city, on certain routes and at certain times of day, up to 20 per cent of t...
Jim Eadie (Edinburgh Southern) (SNP)
SNP
I thank Alison Johnstone for taking my intervention and for the constructive way in which she has brought the issue before Parliament.Alison Johnstone has th...
Alison Johnstone
Green
Absolutely, I will. We all commend the work of Spokes, pedal on Parliament, and Sustrans. They have all played very important parts in raising the profile of...
The Minister for Housing and Transport (Keith Brown)
SNP
I thank Alison Johnstone for lodging the motion and for the way in which she has spoken to it. It is a comprehensive motion on cycling that provides us with ...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
I declare an interest as a former chair of the north east of Scotland transport partnership. In the north-east, there has been an initiative to fit Fresnel l...
Keith Brown
SNP
At the road safety forum, we discussed several initiatives that are taking place in different localities, and the need to spread those out as best practice. ...
Jim Eadie
SNP
Does the minister agree that, by pledging to spend 5 per cent of its transport budget on active travel schemes, the City of Edinburgh Council sets a good exa...
Keith Brown
SNP
It is true that, over a long period—certainly even when I lived in Edinburgh up to the 1980s—the council’s leadership role has been evident. Other local auth...
Alison Johnstone
Green
Will the minister take an intervention?
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I am sorry—the minister does not have time to give way.
Keith Brown
SNP
The cycling, walking and safer streets grant will be just over £6 million in 2012-13. Our grant offer retains a request for at least 36 per cent, and prefera...
Elaine Murray (Dumfriesshire) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, welcome the opportunity to discuss cycling. We have had debates on buses, ferries and railways in the past few weeks, so it is about time we discusse...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
A mandatory 20mph limit was put in place in Sunnybank in my constituency in Aberdeen without any accompanying traffic-calming measures. Such measures had to ...
Elaine Murray
Lab
That comes back to policing, which is where some resistance comes in from local authorities and police forces. They do not want to have to police the 20mph l...
John Lamont (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)
Con
I congratulate Alison Johnstone on using her party’s business time to bring this very important issue to the chamber. I think that it is the first time durin...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Thank you, Mr Lamont. Your cycling history is impressive.09:43
Marco Biagi (Edinburgh Central) (SNP)
SNP
I will not even try to follow that with my cycling record.I am grateful to the Green party for bringing this timely debate to the chamber. Cycling has been a...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
You need to start winding up.
Marco Biagi
SNP
The City of Edinburgh Council is now showing the kind of leadership that has been shown by other cities across Europe. I hope that Scotland’s other local aut...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I call Malcolm Chisholm. I remind members that they have a strict four minutes.09:47
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the Scottish Government’s reaffirmation of its commitment to ensure that 10 per cent of journeys will be made by bike by 2020, since that is clearl...
Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
I join other members in welcoming this Green party debate.It seems to me that there are three strands in this debate about cycling. We are talking about cycl...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Many thanks, Mrs McLeod. I appreciate your brevity.09:54
Helen Eadie (Cowdenbeath) (Lab)
Lab
I congratulate the Green party on choosing to use its parliamentary time to highlight cycling and call on the Scottish Government to improve the offering for...
Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I declare an interest; I am an executive member of the Scottish Accident Prevention Council.I welcome the debate and endorse the comments about the health an...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
We come to the closing speeches.10:02
Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I have enjoyed listening to the debate and I commend Alison Johnstone for giving us the opportunity to focus on the benefits of cycling and active travel.I a...
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member take an intervention?
Nanette Milne
Con
I am just finishing.