New road safety and travel commissioners appointed

Two people have been appointed to new roles to improve road safety and increase cycling and walking across the West Midlands region.

They will work with a new transport task force being set up through the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The roles have been created after campaigners called for action due to the number of deaths on roads and speed limits to be cut.

The new road safety commissioner is Mat MacDonald, former chair of a road safety campaign group and NHS doctor. Beccy Marston, who has worked with charities, communities and councils, becomes the active travel commissioner.

They will be expected to work one day a week and be each paid £10,000, which is about £200 per day, for their contributions.

Last month, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said he was "blown away" by the standard of applicants, and had received about 300 applications.

The pair will work towards making roads in the region safer while encouraging more people to choose cycling and walking for shorter journeys, improving the environment and reducing traffic congestion, Mr Parker said.

The key target, set out in the WMCA's Regional Road Safety Strategy, was to reduce the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on our roads by half by 2030.

At a protest in Birmingham last July, campaign group Better Streets for Birmingham said at least 23 people had died on city roads in a year and called for speed limits to be lowered.

Mr MacDonald, former chair of the group who also has experience supporting victims of road collisions in his NHS role, said being appointed to the new role was a privilege and he looked forward to working towards that target.

"Achieving this vital objective is the least we owe – not only to the victims of the tragic crashes on our streets, but also to the future generations of the West Midlands, whose safety and happiness is critical to realising the exceptional potential of our remarkable region," he said.

The region's Local Transport Plan has set a target for everyone to be able to safely reach a range of local destinations on foot, in a wheelchair or on a bike or scooter, with the aim of at least half of all trips being made by active travel by 2030, Mr Parker said.

Ms Marston said: "By working hand-in-hand with communities and grassroots organisations, we aim to bring our new infrastructure to life and help individuals experience the practical benefits of walking or cycling for everyday journeys."

She added that she understood walking and cycling may not work for everyone but it was their "collective responsibility to make these options safer, more accessible, and easier, helping them become the natural and preferred choice for short journeys".

Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, who chairs the West Midlands Road Safety Strategic Group, welcomed the appointments, adding reducing number of people "tragically and avoidably killed" remained a priority.

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