If you feel like you are experiencing any Coronavirus symptoms, please follow the advice from the National Health Service – found here.
Stirling has been awarded £513 000 as part of the £30m Spaces for People fund, to make social distancing and active travel possible as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
The Spaces for People programme is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by Sustrans Scotland. It aims to enable statutory bodies to implement measures focused on protecting public health, supporting physical distancing and preventing a second wave of Coronavirus.
Spaces for People is designed to improve health and wellbeing so that everyone is able to move around their local area safely while keeping to physical distancing requirements during the transition through and out of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Support can be tailored to meet applicant needs to help speed up delivery, making it safer for people who choose to walk, cycle or wheel for essential trips during Covid-19.
The programme aims to offer temporary walking and cycling infrastructure that helps to protect public health, and enable safe physical distancing for essential journeys and exercise for everyone, in particular where there are space constraints or user safety concerns.
It is unclear yet how the funds will be used in Stirling, and unknown if the measures will be in the form of temporary infrastructure exclusively, or if some additional permanent cycle paths or routes.
Hopefully, as an added benefit, it will help to alleviate some of the isolation and loneliness felt by those whom have been shielding, or are in a vulnerable category with regards to catching the illness, and allow people to maintain a healthy lifestyle within these constraints.
Scottish Greens Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Mark Ruskell has urged Stirling Council to put public safety, air quality and the economy first by investing the funds in a way which keeps people moving.
Mark Ruskell said: “I welcome the fact that Stirling Council has applied for and been granted £513,000 to make our streets safer. This funding can make a real difference here, but only if it is invested wisely.
“If people avoid public transport in the near future, there is a real danger our streets will be clogged up with traffic jams, causing dangerous levels of pollution and preventing anyone getting anywhere.”
Feature image credit: Sustrans
If you feel like you are experiencing any Coronavirus symptoms, please follow the advice from the National Health Service – found here.
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