Cycling, Walking & Safety

Physical activity plays a key role in people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing, with numerous studies in recent years showing that people who walk and cycle enjoy longer and healthier lives.

 

Nestrans want to increase the number of people travelling actively for health and the environment.

As well as working to increase the number of people walking, cycling or wheeling, we also want people to feel confident in doing so. Nestrans will work along with partners to reduce number and severity of casualties from road traffic collisions involving active travel users. In addition we will work to improve perceptions of safety and security for active travel users.

As part of our Active Travel Action Plan – 2024 we’re working on 30 different actions to make the North-East a more attractive, comfortable, convenient, inclusive and safer place to walk, wheel and cycle. These include:

  • Infrastructure – this theme focuses on maintaining, expanding and improving existing active travel networks and links to provide high-quality connections for people walking, wheeling and cycling within and between communities in the North-East, ensuring that active travel is embedded into the design of places, prioritising user comfort and safety.
  • Access To Bikes and Storage – this theme focuses on improving access to cycles of different types for a range of users, to improve the equity of cycling. It also aims to make cycling more accessible through the implementation of hire bikes, cycle storage and other facilities in key locations.
  • Behaviour Change – this theme focuses on influencing people to make healthier, more sustainable and safer travel choices through the use of marketing campaigns, travel planning and specific programmes of events within schools, workplaces and communities.
  • Road Safety and Education – this theme focuses on making active travel safer for all and improving awareness of road safety for both those travelling actively and those driving. Actions include provision of cycle training, road safety campaigns and speed management interventions.
  • Monitoring and Evaluation – this theme focuses on ensuring there is a robust evidence base to enable the success of the AcTrAP to be monitored and evaluated at a regional level, recognising the importance of stakeholders working together to ensure best practice is shared, and funding sources fully utilised to support the delivery of the Action Plan.

People and Place Programme

In 2024, Transport Scotland introduced a new model known as the People and Place Programme to encourage more people in Scotland to walk, cycle or use other active modes of transportation.

Each of Scotland’s seven Regional Transport Partnerships now receive direct funding to administer to local organisations and projects that promote active travel. In 2024/25, Nestrans secured £1,737,667 in support of active travel projects across the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire areas. In 2025/26, Nestrans have secured £2,163,497, for supporting active, and now sustainable travel, projects too.

Find out how we’re using funding from Transport Scotland’s People and Place Programme to fund projects across the north east.

Bike Re-use and Recycling

As part of Nestrans’ People and Place Programme for 2025/26, two of our partners support Bike Reuse and Recycling, aiming to see thousands of unwanted bikes across the north east saved from scrap and instead given a new lease of life in support of local people and causes.

Nestrans, has been working alongside two local charities; Stella’s Voice and Gordon Rural Action, to deliver the project.  

Unwanted bikes can be dropped off at locations across Aberdeenshire and will then be assessed and refurbished at repair workshops. Bikes will then be resold at discounted prices or, via a referral scheme, given to children to who otherwise might not be able to own their own bike.