Nine active travel hubs planned across region

NEW active travel hubs planned for Dumfries and Galloway could help reduce the region’s number of deaths linked to physical inactivity.

Nine ‘multi-modal transport hubs’ are to be installed across the region to encourage people to get on their bikes and reduce car trips.

This news comes a month after it was revealed that more than 120 people die due to a lack of exercise in Dumfries and Galloway every year. One of the multi-modal transport hubs sites could be at Kilngreen car park in Langholm. It would include: a public cycle pump and repair station, secure cycle storage lockers, electric bike storage lockers with internal charging points, a bike and dog wash, and electric vehicle charging points.

At next Tuesday’s Annandale and Eskdale area committee, councillors will be asked to give the green light to converting Common Good land at Kilngreen car park into a multi-modal transport hub.

The same day, councillors on Sanquhar Common Good Fund committee will be asked to approve using Common Good land at Simpson Road in Sanquhar for a similar hub.

Reports due to be tabled at the committees read: “Dumfries and Galloway Council is developing nine multi-modal transport hubs throughout the region with funding from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

“The hubs aim to make sustainable and active travel more accessible to residents and visitors by joining up everyday journeys, improving links between towns and reducing car trips while increasing bus, walking, and cycling trips, and boosting visitor numbers.

“There are many benefits from switching to sustainable and active forms of travel. People choosing active forms of travel like walking, wheeling and cycling can save money.

“Active travel also boosts health and wellbeing, communities benefit from being better connected, businesses benefit when people ‘stop and shop’, and everyone benefits from reduced congestion and pollution.”