Concerns over low numbers of people in Mansfield and Ashfield walking to work

It’s a similar story in Ashfield where just one in 13 workers currently walk to work.

As the lockdown is gradually lifted and people head back to work, the Government has announced emergency funding and measures to make the roads more cyclist and pedestrian-friendly, including plans for pop-up cycle lanes and distributing bike repair vouchers.

New Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that ten per cent of people in Mansfield and eight per cent in Ashfield walked to work in the three months to December.

The vast majority of people in both areas travelled to work by car or van.

The ONS says the results must be interpreted with caution as there may have been a small sample size in local areas.

Grant Schapps MP, the transport secretary has announced a £250 million emergency package for England to boost cycling and walking, warning that public transport will only be able to cope with ten per cent of usual numbers if passengers are to abide by the two-metre social distancing rule.

Fast-tracked guidance published by the Department for Transport has told councils they must reallocate road space for significantly increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians.

In a bid to encourage people to dust off their old bikes, vouchers will be given out for cycle repairs, while plans are under way for greater provision of bike-fixing facilities.

Separate figures from the Department for Transport reveal that a third of residents in both Mansfield and Ashfield go for a stroll less than once per week, while a quarter do so less than once a month.

Nine organisations, including Greenpeace and the Transport Action Network, have written an open letter to the Government and local authorities calling for more action to promote walking and cycling.

They are also requesting wider pavements, protected cycle tracks, networks of low-traffic neighbourhoods, and the installation of bus gates, bollards and planters to limit traffic in residential and shopping streets.