Cities must be redesigned to make it much easier for people to be physically active as part of everyday life. This is the main finding in a report about to be released.
The report’s author, John White, says that submissions to the recent Health Select Committee Inquiry into Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes had a very strong message. “We need to make walking and cycling the easy and natural choice by the way we design urban areas”, Mr White said.
People on footpaths deserve the same consideration as people using mobility car parks, says walking advocacy group Living Streets Aotearoa.
Fines for those illegally using mobility car parks are set to rise to $150, while the fine for parking on a footpath remains at $40.
Living Streets Aotearoa President, Celia Wade-Brown says, "Why do we care more about a person with disabilities if they drive than if they are on the footpath?"
Walking advocates are calling for lower traffic speeds as the most effective way of improving road safety.
The call follows the death of former Air Accident Inspector Ron Chippindale who was struck by a car this morning.
Director of Living Streets Aotearoa, Liz Thomas, says “While we don’t know the exact circumstances of this tragic accident, we know that lowering traffic speeds reduces the frequency and severity of accidents.”
“The message is simple: down with speed for safer roads.”
Living Streets Aotearoa is the New Zealand organisation for people on foot, promoting walking-friendly communities. We are a nationwide organisation with local branches and affiliates throughout New Zealand.
We want more people walking and enjoying public spaces be they young or old, fast or slow, whether walking, sitting, commuting, shopping, between appointments, or out on the streets for exercise, for leisure or for pleasure.
