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In the first ever petition under the Assembly's new powers backed by cross section of business and civil society, leading sustainable transport charity Sustrans is calling for the Assembly to get extra powers to encourage people out of their cars. The charity has gained support for their petition from organisations including BT, Royal Mail, British Medical Association Cymru, National Union of Teachers Cymru and Age Concern Cymru.

Sustrans Cymru's Director, Lee Waters, said:
"If the Assembly Government has a responsibility to provide a network of Trunk Roads, they should also have a duty to create a network of traffic free walking and cycling routes across Wales."

A range of organisations, representing children, the elderly, businesses and unions from across Wales have come together to call for extra powers to be passed down from Westminster to allow Wales to lead the way in promoting walking and cycling.

Sustrans Cymru is leading the demand for a legal framework to develop cycling and walking routes, which imposes a duty on the Assembly Government to create and maintain a network of traffic-free paths for walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users across Wales.

Lee Waters explained:
"The Assembly Government has set itself tough targets to cut carbon emissions by 3% every year, and put 95% of people in Wales within a ten-minute walk of a foot or cycle path. Changing the way we travel for local journeys is key to tackling obesity and cutting our carbon footprint, and in order for people walk and cycle more we need a robust approach to developing routes to the shops, school and work. Our call for the Assembly to get extra powers to create a network of paths will help Ministers achieve their targets.

"The support we've gained from business, industry and other organisations demonstrates how important the issue of tackling our growing waistlines, and rising traffic levels, is to society."