BIG INTERVIEW
PHOTO BY MARY TURNER
whether cycling is for them yet, so it’s a good low-risk way of getting involved before potentially buying a bike, which is also good news for the industry.”
A new challenge December 2021 saw Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street appoint Tranter as cycling and walking commissioner, to accelerate plans to get more people moving around the region by foot or bike. Tranter, who has previously volunteered as Bicycle
Mayor for Coventry, took up the new role after a ‘rigorous’ recruitment process, and as commissioner, works with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), local council partners and the Department for Transport to steer the region’s cycling and walking policies and plans. On Tranter’s appointment, Street said: “Adam has an
excellent track record of campaigning and lobbying for cycling and walking in Coventry, and I now want to use that expertise to improve our offer across the whole region. “We have put more funding than ever before into active
travel, but we need to go further to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys in the West Midlands. Not only is it good for the environment by cutting down on car use and therefore air pollution, but it is also a brilliant and fun way of improving people’s physical and mental health. “The benefits of cycling and walking are clear, and I know Adam is the right person to help deliver on my promise to put active travel at the heart of our region’s transport plans.”
“I’D LOVE TO SEE THE INDUSTRY DOING MORE AND NOT GOING BACK INSTINCTIVELY TO THE CORE CUSTOMER”
www.bikebiz.com
Tranter said: “My job is to ultimately deliver the region’s vision for active travel, including the mayor’s manifesto of building the Starley Network of safe cycling routes.” Birmingham-based business leader and active travel advocate Phil Jones has also been appointed as technical advisor to Tranter, where he will support Tranter to deliver Street’s vision of enabling many more people to walk and cycle short journeys instead of using the car. Tranter continued: “I’m working with my technical
adviser Phil Jones on making sure that the schemes that we’re delivering with our local authority partners are really high quality and the kind that people will want to use and really building that political will amongst the local authorities to do the right thing, and invest in this space because we have to. Doing nothing is not really an option.”
The cost of change
“I think the cost of living crisis has very much shown that people are really reliant on the status quo of energy in all forms, and that’s petrol or diesel or the price of electricity bills and gas in their homes,” said Tranter. “It’s really concerning and shows the need to act to help future proof our energy system. “It’s reached a threshold where filling up your car might
cost over £100, and that means that some people might choose to walk or cycle some short journeys instead and realise all the benefits that that has. “Behaviour change often comes when there is a change
in personal circumstances – someone moves house or moves jobs or reconsiders things in a different way. The price of petrol and diesel definitely has a part to play in that consideration for active travel.
September 2022 | 23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
