03.05.13
Mutual Respect campaign for road safety
A new campaign to boost road safety has been awarded £424,000 funding, Scottish transport minister Keith Brown has announced.
Cycling Scotland’s Mutual Respect Campaign will be launched in August, for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians. It ties in with the first Rail Cycle Hub at Stirling rail station.
Brown said: “Scotland has its lowest road casualty figures since records began, however the level of cyclist and pedestrian casualties is still too high. I have allocated additional funds to Cycling Scotland to develop and run a substantial long-term media and educational campaign to help change behaviour on our roads.
“The Scottish Government is providing significant investment for the infrastructure needed to support active travel across Scotland, in both urban and rural areas, as an essential contribution to the partnership endeavour required across the public sector, with local authorities in particular playing a highly important role.
“I am delighted to make this announcement at the opening of Scotland’s first Rail Cycle Hub this morning. The Cycle Hub Team will provide support and expert knowledge on local routes and networks and local visitor attractions. Hopefully this will be the first of many cycle hubs across Scotland and will encourage more people to get on their bikes.”
Ian Aitken, chief executive of Cycling Scotland said: “I am delighted that the Scottish Government has allocated additional funding to Cycling Scotland for this awareness campaign. We will be working with partners from the cycling, motoring, pedestrian and road haulage sectors to create a campaign that helps to make the roads safer and friendlier. The campaign will be talking to all road users, and looking at ways we can all make small changes to our behaviour to make Scotland’s roads a more harmonious place.”
Jane Cullingworth, executive director of Forth Environment Link said: “We are thrilled to be opening the Cycle Hub. The hub will be a key community resource – not just for those already cycling but for the many people out there who have bikes gathering dust or who have never thought of getting on a bike. We hope that the hub will inspire people to get cycling and we welcome people to come by this weekend for our launch.”
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