‘Sixty per cent’ cut in active travel scheme funding a ‘real shock’

A SIXTY per cent drop in government funding to help make active travel more accessible has been described as a “real shock” by a local transport official.

A total of £355,000 was approved at a meeting of transport partnership ZetTrans on Friday for a range of projects with a focus on cycling and walking.

But this is much lower than what ZetTrans had initially expected through Transport Scotland’s People and Places programme, with proposals first submitted for projects worth just over £550,000 in total.

ZetTrans’ transport policy and projects officer Robina Barton said the reduction in funding, which has come Shetland’s way over the last two years, came “quite late in the day”.

A report to members said the cut is due to “funding challenges” within the Scottish Government.

When notification of the reduced funding came on 1 April, officers revised the local programme.

Scottish Cycling, Cycling UK and Love to Ride UK will share the £355,000 worth of funding, supporting projects to get more people cycling and walking during everyday journeys.

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A Transport Scotland spokesperson said in response: “With total funding of £18.7 million secured for 26/27, the People & Places programme will continue to help our active travel partners fund improvements to encourage walking, wheeling and cycling in their local areas.

“Transport Scotland officials will continue to work closely with Regional Transport Partnerships to maximise the programme’s impact.”

The capital element of the nationwide 2026/27 programme is maintained at £15.5 million, while the resource element is £3.2 million.

Meanwhile Barton also confirmed that a separate funding bid is being worked on for enhancing information around bus services.

This would include developing an app, a new website and rolling out “real time passenger information” as well.

Barton said she is “cautiously optimistic we will do something quite significant” this year in this area.

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ZetTrans chair councillor Moraig Lyall said she had recently been on a bus with two Swedish women who remarked how difficult it was to find information when visitors are not familiar with the bus network or place names.

She said they got on the bus in Brae but got off in Voe as they were unfamiliar with the route.

Lyall said a journey planner would be beneficial, or information on board buses which say what the next stop is.

In terms of active travel infrastructure, Barton said projects are ready to go – with the only hold-up being waiting for Transport Scotland to offer funding.

She said there are “some quite significant” projects on the horizon.