WEB DESK
UK government has announced a ‘once in a generation’ transport sector investment of around 2 billion pound, with a major chunk ear-marked for emergency improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure for the country’s green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps made the announcement during the daily 10 Downing Street briefing, during which he also revealed the official death toll in hospitals and the wider community from COVID-19 as 31,587. The Cabinet minister said the new investment in transport looks ahead into the future to ensure the public is supported to use more greener travel options and avoid overcrowding in public transport as travel restrictions are gradually eased in the coming weeks.
He said, whilst it’s crucial that we stay at home, when the country does get back to work we need to ask those people to carry on cycling or walking and for them to be joined by many others as well. The minister also said the move beyond COVID-19 would be a ‘gradual progress’ and not a ‘single leap to freedom’ when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes his major speech on the lockdown on Sunday evening.
