Since coronavirus stopped us all in our tracks, people have been forced to travel less and in different ways. There have been fewer cars on the road and we are asked not to travel by public transport unless our trips are absolutely essential. People are walking more, and sometimes cycling, in their local areas, exploring the sites of Southampton as part of their daily exercise. Gyms, swimming pools and other places that allow people to do exercise indoors, are all shut. Keeping active is important for health, and if we are sedentary, we are at higher risk of a range of diseases and health conditions.
Travel is also linked to air pollution. Breathing poor air also makes us vulnerable to a wide range of health risks. Southampton has a poor record on air pollution, and whilst most areas of the country have experienced less air pollution since coronavirus lockdown, the jury is still out on whether this appl
ies to Southampton too. Information sourced in this Ricard plc blog published on 7th May 2020, suggests that nitrogen dioxide air pollution has increased by 2% in Southampton central area since lockdown, which differs from the trend elsewhere in the country.
Councils are creating their own Coronavirus Travel Plans, to help people stay safe on the roads, pavements and paths. Many paths are just not wide enough to allow the physical distancing when people are passing each other. Southampton City Council has just launched its Green Travel Recovery Plan, to help social distancing and active travel.
Last September, together with My Journey and Southampton Collective, we explored the issues around how people travel to hospitals, GPs and other health services. We asked what more could be done to encourage travel in ways that don’t pollute and keep people active. Health services, like everyone, can do their bit to encourage and support people to travel in ways that don’t harm their health. These days, this includes a range of adapted bikes and scooters, so active travel opportunities can be available to people who have a range of disabilities.
We made a short video presentation of what we found, and we put our more detailed recommendations to NHS organisations and Southampton City Council in this document.
You will see from the recommendations included at the end of the video presentation, that there are some good initiatives in Southampton, but much more could be done. Ultimately, continuing the conversation with the community and working together towards healthier travel, is important.
We have shared these findings with health services and Southampton City Council. We want to see continued opportunities for people to influence the design and delivery of travel initiatives, so they meet the health needs of everyone. We will update you as and when changes happen in line with our recommendations.
Keep telling us, here at Healthwatch Southampton, what matters to you. We’re here to listen and raise issues with health and care organisations. Your voice counts.