Cutting cycling and walking budgets is harmful, say Doctors

Statement on Reductions in Government Expenditure on Cycling
from Doctors for Active, Safe Transport

Every day as a doctor I see the urgent health need that is putting intense and increasing pressure on our
health system. It’s cancer, it’s heart disease, it’s diabetes and all their awful complications.

Unless we do much more to keep people well we will be overwhelmed.

There is a huge amount of evidence that one of the very best ways to keep people well is get more
people cycling and walking.

And it’s also comparatively very cheap. Hospitals are really, really expensive.

Putting the brakes on cycling and walking spending is incredibly short sighted if you’re in any way
concerned about the health of your people or the ever widening cracks in our health system.

This is before you consider the benefits of cycling for decongesting our very clogged roads and for our
climate.

Dr David Tripp
Intensive Care Doctor and General Physician
FRACP, FCICM, MBChB(Dist), MCom (hons), BSc(Hons)
Contact: 027 586 4626
16 December 2023