Promoting Active Lifestyles: Good Ideas For Transport and Health Practitioners

GOVERNMENT

Community Planning Process establishes the policy framework for decision-makers to act upon and is a real chance for joined-up working .www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk
The Scottish Executive encourages every local authority to promote ';healthy transport'; through their Local Transport Strategy. www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/transport/gltpsd.pdf
The Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 references the introduction of Health Impact Assessments, whereby future transport strategies must consider the promotion of healthy transport. www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2005/20050012.htm
The National Transport Strategy (consultation document) recognises the contribution that active travel can play in health as well as to reducing congestion and integrating other transport modes .www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/112254/0027311.pdf
The National Physical Activity Strategy provides a context for further development of local strategies and forums at a local level. www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/47032/0017726.pdf
The Scottish Physical Activity Research Collaboration has identified walking as a focus. www.sparcoll.org.uk

COMMUNITY

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 launched the concept of Core Path Planning and recommended establishing Outdoor Access Officers to create opportunities for day-to-day journeys to work and school. www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2003/20030002.htm
The Paths for All Partnership and Paths to Health links outdoor access and the promotion of local walking initiatives. Paths for Health can provide training and support to both communities and local authority officers. www.pathsforall.org.uk/
Frontline healthcare staff are effective in the promotion of physical activity, particularly where this can be linked to sustainable transport and changing travel behaviour initiatives support from the local authority.
Travel Behaviour Programmes working alongside communities are an important opportunity to promote health transport. The three-year stepchange programme stimulated activity of this sort across Scotland. www.stepchangescotland.org
Working with employers and schools through travel plan development is a good opportunity to promote the health benefits of active travel. www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/transport/tpao.pdf

FUNDING

The Scottish Executive is providing free advice to local authorities and businesses to assist with travel plans. For more information contact Ian Murdoch on 0131 555 7902. www.est.org.uk
Cycling, Walking and Safer Routes to School funding and the Integrated Transport Fund from the Scottish Executive.
Fresh Futures programme through the New Opportunities Fund, Sustainable Action Grants from the Scottish Executive.
The Regional Transport Partnerships have been awarded £1 million over the next two years to encourage employers to develop sustainable transport plans through the appointment of dedicated travel plan officers. www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/95492/0023112.pdf

The Scottish Government