161. In a written submission, Gary Bell commented on the need for a more unified approach amongst organisations charged with promoting cycling—
“The competition between Cycling Scotland, Scottish Cycling, Sustrans, Spokes and the CTC to represent cyclists prevents a united approach and limits the influence of a cycling perspective on major transport decisions.”
163. Frank Roach of HITRANS offered a potential solution to this problem—
“A number of bodies in Scotland have an overlap, but none appears to take the full lead. Cycling Scotland is currently consulting on its future; Scottish Cycling deals with the sports side of cycling; and Sustrans is involved and is given money by a number of local authorities and agencies. It would be better if Cycling Scotland were beefed up and in the heart of Government—whether as part of Transport Scotland or in the transport department—instead of having the Cinderella role that it currently has.”102
164. The contribution of Transport Scotland to the active travel agenda attracted some criticism in the written submission from the Cycle Touring Club Scotland—
“Transport Scotland have the lion's share of the transport budget and the experience of spending money on large contracts, but have shown almost no interest in cycling. They have less than one full-time cycling officer, and the only schemes they promote are those which fall under the Trunk Road Cycling Initiative, ie the 'crumbs' from the road-building feast…In our view TS has to undergo radical reform.”
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/ticc/reports-10/trr10-04.htm#_ftn13
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