Active Travel Bill demonstrates the power of the National Assembly’s petitions system – says Committee Chair

3 October 2013

The Chair of the National Assembly’s Petitions Committee has welcomed the passing of the Active Travel (Wales) Bill, highlighting it as an example of what the Assembly’s petitions system can achieve.

William Powell AM has released the following statement after the Bill was passed in a unanimous Assembly vote at the Senedd this week:

“The Active Travel Bill shows a clear commitment for a sustainable transport infrastructure in Wales.

“The roots of this Bill can be found in the National Assembly’s petitions system after a submission by Sustrans in 2007 which the Committee took up.

“I would like to congratulate Sustrans for their hard work and perseverance in campaigning for this law.

“I hope it serves as an example to everyone that the Assembly’s petitions system is a powerful and direct form of democracy, capable of contributing to significant change in Wales, including the formation of new laws.”

The original petition from Sustrans called on:

“…the Welsh Assembly Government to develop and maintain a network of traffic free shared use paths.”

More information about the petition can be found here.

You can find out more about the National Assembly’s petitions system here.