We have invited candidates from the main political parties to speak directly to voters about their vision for sustainable and active transport in Scotland. The event will give them a chance to outline their party’s priorities before taking part in a Q&A session with you.

Who Is Attending

We have contacted all 6 of the main political parties and the following will be attending:

• Scottish Lib Dems – Peter McLaughlin, candidate for Glasgow Cathcart and Pollok
• Scottish Greens – Holly Bruce, candidate for Glasgow Southside
• SNP – TBC
• Scottish Labour – TBC
• Reform – Graham Simpson, candidate for Airdrie
• Scottish Conservatives – Kyle Park, candidate for Glasgow Cathcart & Pollok 

Find out more about who you can vote for.

Venue, Date and Time

The event will take place at The Renfield Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JP in the Blythswood Hall on Tuesday 28 April.

• 630pm – venue opens, refreshments and networking 
• 700-830pm – hustings
• 830-9pm – final networking

Who We Are

Glasgow Eco Trust, GoBike Strathclyde Cycle Campaign, Cycling UK Scotland and Aye Cycle Glasgow represent the voices of those who walk, wheel or cycle in greater Glasgow and beyond and those who do not yet have the choice to do so.

Our supporters are commited to active travel and sustainable transport and it is a critical issue that they’d like to see the next Scottish Government deliver on. 

Glasgow Eco Trust

Community-led climate action – making a difference for people, place and planet. Glasgow Eco Trust is a local environmental charity and social enterprise based in west Glasgow that coordinates and delivers a range of environmental activities and services. Find out more at Glasgow Eco Trust

GoBike Strathclyde Cycle Campaign

Your voice for improving cycling in Glasgow and Strathclyde. GoBike campaigns for safer streets for all and making cycling a natural choice for all ages to get around. Find out more at GoBike

Cycling UK

Cycling UK enable and inspire people from all backgrounds and abilities to experience cycling’s joys and benefits. We speak up for all who cycle to make sure it’s a safe and easy choice for everyone to travel, explore and have fun. Ride with us for happier, healthier and greener lives. Find out more at Cycling UK Scotland

Aye Cycle Glasgow

Aye Cycle Glasgow is a one-stop shop website and network of community cycling organisations across the greater Glasgow area. Find out more at Aye Cycle Glasgow

Manifestoes

• Glasgow Eco Trust, GoBike and Cycling UK are three of more than 60 organisations that have signed up to the Joint Active Travel manifesto
• Cycling UK Making Cycling The Easy Choice  
• GoBike also supports the SUV Alliance manifesto https://www.suv-alliance.org.uk/

A bike fit is a bespoke service where you get a professional bike fit at home with The Bike Fitters, the UK’s largest mobile bike fitting network. They come to you and tailor your position for better comfort, performance and power.

The voucher is being provided by professional bike fitter Patrick Lamont who is based in Edinburgh. Areas shown in the map below are covered, but please note there may be a small fuel surcharge payable by the winner depending on location.

There will be up to 500 raffle tickets available and each ticket costs £2 each (5 for £10, 10 for £20). Tickets will be available up until midday on Thursday 19 February 2026

Buy Tickets Online

The money raised will support the following good causes:

• 40% to Glasgow Eco Trust
• 40% to GoBike the Strathclyde Cycle Campaign – your voice for improving cycling in Glasgow and Strathclyde  
• 20% to SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health)

The prize is one voucher for a complimentary bike fit from The Bike Fitters. The voucher is worth £280 and is valid until the 31 May 2026.

Buy Tickets Online

Pedal on Parliament is a grassroots volunteer-led campaign pushing for better, safer and more inclusive cycling conditions for everyone of all ages and abilities in Scotland. We run a weekend of action aimed at policy makers, asking for better investment, design and policy for sustainable transport. 

The Pedal On Parliament manifesto asks politicians to agree to:

• Proper funding for active travel – starting at 10% of the transport budget and rising to 20% by the end of the parliamentary term.
• Design cycling for all ages and abilities into Scotland’s roads.
• Implement and enforce safer speeds where people live, work and play.

Join us as we call for a cycle-friendly Scotland. More details will be posted on the Pedal On Parliament website and socials.

The ‘Joint Active Travel Manifesto for 2026’ calls for parties to commit to multi-year budgets, link public transport and improve road safety, in order to build on ongoing success and bring the benefits of walking/wheeling and cycling to more people.

From helping to reduce Scotland’s carbon emissions to improving public health and supporting local economies, the manifesto highlights some of the many benefits that active travel brings, calling on parties to pledge to support five key commitments:

1. Investment: provide long term investment to transform our local high streets and communities, committing at least 10% of the transport budget to active travel funding.

2. Long-term commitment: Multi-year budgets to accelerate delivery of national strategies on walking, wheeling and cycling, offer better value for money and give more people access to active travel, regardless of income and background.

3. Infrastructure: Transform our communities, enabling anyone, especially younger people – to travel more safely on foot, by wheeling or by bike. Including through well maintained, accessible networks of walking or cycling routes and reorganised streetspace, creating better, greener local places.

4. Link active and public transport: Integrate walking and cycling infrastructure with public transport in rural areas especially, providing alternatives to the car. Reducing congestion for all and effortlessly linking longer journeys.

5. Safety: Reduce road danger by lowering traffic speeds in our communities, by taking dangerous drivers off the road and by creating more accessible streets for all: implementing the pavement parking ban, reinforcing the new Highway Code and making welcoming spaces everyone can use and enjoy.

Increased national investment in active travel was supported by all major parties at the 2021 Holyrood election, and has led to impressive increases in walking, wheeling and cycling where projects have been delivered, Sadly, it’s not all good news as 12 people are killed or seriously injured while walking, wheeling or cycling every week in Scotland and more action is needed to keep people safe and reduce danger at source. [1]

The Scottish Government’s 2026 budget has set out increased funding for active travel and bus infrastructure over the next four years – an extremely welcome development that will help to create safer streets, healthier communities, and support more thriving local economies. The Joint Active Travel Manifesto calls on all political parties to commit to sustaining and building on this investment into the long term.

Devi Sridhar is Professor and Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh and author of ‘How Not to Die Too Soon’. In support of the manifesto, Professor Sridhar said: “A move towards active travel isn’t about banning cars, but rather increasing options and freedoms for people to choose how they want to go to school, work or city centre, whether it’s walking, cycling or public transport. Getting people moving in theirdaily life should be a high priority for governments given that sedentary behaviour is a majorrisk factor for chronic disease such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and dementia. Exercise also contributes at a cellular level to better mental health.

“Scotland has made positive steps in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go tocatch up with major European cities who have built active travel into urban design.”

Rose Marie Burke and John Newman, the parents of Emma Burke Newman who was killed while cycling in Glasgow City Centre in 2023, said: “Emma loved to cycle through her world, including her beloved Scotland. Unfortunately, careless driving and poor infrastructure took her away from us. Despite progress, let’s keep up the hard work to recognise and address the real issues in plain sight.”

Kay Corbett, owner of Outline Hair in the centre of Edinburgh, has supported customers to travel by bike by providing cycle parking inside her salon, and has advocated for further improvements for walking, wheeling and cycling on local shopping streets. Kay said: “I’m lucky enough to have my commute to work pass through Holyrood Park, and seeing the changing seasons in the park, and wildlife up close every day is unreal, you really couldn’t convince me there’s a better way to travel. The safer and more enjoyable an experience we can make it is the best way to encourage people to make the leap onto a bike.

“I can do all I like to encourage cycling to my business, talking to clients about biking, providing bike parking in the salon, but the biggest concern my staff and customers have is safety. The want to cycle is there. The issues remain clear that cycle lanes aren’t city wide yet.”

Jason Corbett, owner of Insider Tattoo, said as a small business owner: “I need to get about, my customers need to get about so the more people using active travel the more swiftly, safely and cleanly we will all move. It will give us both physical and mental health benefits and a cleaner environment for the future.”

The full manifesto for active travel, with list of all signatories, is available here

Notes

[1] https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/reported-road-casualties-scotland-2023/table-23-reported-casualties-by-mode-of-transport-and-severity/

Don’t be fooled by common myths about cycling – use the explanations on the site to help spread the truth!

The site has been created in order to collate all the facts and arguments about cycling for transport. While there are a great many blogs, articles and videos explaining these concepts, they can often be difficult to keep track of and link to.

If you’re a cycle campaigner, you’ll probably have come up against the same old arguments time and time again. There are many myths about cycling, which are widespread and often believed, without any basis in fact. So the site hopes to make it easier for cycle campaigners to win the argument by providing a quick response to these myths.

This site has been made possible due to the hard work of volunteers, and with support from the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain.

GoBike is delighted to sponsor three How to Start a Bike Bus – Cycling to School webinars hosted by Women On Wheels and Shawlands Bike Bus.

Hear from Katherine Cory, Shawlands Bike Bus co-founder and Women on Wheels Families Coordinator, about how to get started, tips, tricks, challenges and how different bike buses tackle barriers to cycling to get families in their communities riding to school!

Bike buses ooze fun and joy and this short webinar is sure to be an enjoyable intro to the movement. There will be lots of time for Q&A, so don’t be shy – get our questions ready!

The second webinar is taking place online via Zoom from 12-1pm on Monday 3 November. Book via Plinth https://book.plinth.org.uk/e/31IRlz8mdlLVcsb0NMmN

All welcome.

The Cycling Road Safety Roadshow brings together experts from law, policing, advocacy, engineering, and local government to share knowledge, discuss solutions, and build stronger partnerships for safer cycling across Scotland.

The roadshow will be held from 6 – 9:30pm on Wednesday 19 November at the University of Strathclyde 16 Richmond Street Glasgow G1 1XQ

Whether you’re a cyclist, campaigner, policymaker, or simply passionate about safer roads, this free event is for you.

Speakers – Hear from a panel of leading voices in road safety and cycling.

• Roz Galloway – Partner, Cycle Law Scotland. Expert in representing injured cyclists and championing legal rights on Scotland’s roads
• Scott Runicman – Cycling UK (Scotland)
  Advocate for everyday cycling and accessible infrastructure.
• Chris Johnson – Cycling Scotland. Specialist in cycling policy, training, and active travel initiatives.
• Stewart Sinclair – Police Scotland Road Policing. Insights from law enforcement on cyclist safety, collisions, and enforcement.
• Eric Hill – Sweco UK. Perspective from transport planning and infrastructure design.
• Malcolm Hall – Glasgow City Council. Bringing a local authority viewpoint on cycling infrastructure and policy.

Entrance is by donation to SAMH. Book your ticket via Eventbrite

Helsinki hasn’t registered a single traffic-related fatality in the past year, municipal officials revealed recently.

Although road deaths are on the decline across the EU, with a 3 percent decrease in 2024, accidents with tragic outcomes are still commonplace in metropolitan areas. To go a full year without one is a remarkable feat for most cities — let alone a European capital.

In 2023, 7,807 Europeans lost their lives in traffic accidents in EU cities. Fifty-five people died in traffic accidents in Berlin last year, and nine individuals lost their lives in collisions in the Brussels region over the past 12 months.

Source: Politico

The film screening will take place at 630pm on Thursday 23 October at the ODEON Glasgow Springfield Quay, G5 8NP. Tickets are selling fast so why not grab yours now!

Buy your ticket now!

Why you may ask? We don’t know about you, but we believe…

Every child should be able to cycle to school safely. Yet we lack adequate, well-connected cycling infrastructure to make this happen.

Every child deserves to breathe in clean air. Yet, 93% of Glasgow schools are in areas that violate WHO guidelines on safe air to breathe. Yikes!

Every child should be safe in our public spaces. Yet, do you feel comfortable letting your child or young person enjoy our public spaces independently?

We want to ensure our public spaces are designed to keep our kids safe, healthy and happy. Something that will benefit all of us, because safe streets for kids are safe streets for all.

Ambitious? Absolutely! But it will also be bright, bold, colourful and most importantly totally joyous. Because that’s exactly what our public spaces should be. Fun, safe, and welcoming spaces to be.

If you have any questions check out the FAQs on Sunny Cycles website or contact Katherine on families@womenonwheels.org.uk.

Book your place here

Source: Women On Wheels