C(R)AP(S)

I've been calling 'CAPS' 'CRAPS' for a while now, on the basis that it's well, pretty crappy. But it occurs to me that its pretty apt in another way too. It's basically a roll of the dice.  Maybe - if we're lucky - some folk in Scotland will start cycling, but maybe not.  Either way, we're not going to do much to tilt the odds one way or the other.

So the CRAPS refresh today,  instead of accepting that with the current policy they will not meet any of their targets, redefines it to a 'vision' and blindly carries on with the same old failed policies.

Apparently, the national government can't actually allocate money to specific cycling projects, because that would be trampling on local authorities autonomy. Oddly, that doesn't affect their decision to fund roads or 'car projects' to the tune of billions.

Specifically, they can spend £6bn on two road dualling projects with no evidence that this would make the roads safer, but not find even a fraction of that for cyclepaths, which are proven to reduce injury and encourage more cyclists.  As a wiser head than mine says:

"It's not that there's no money, it's just that the Scottish Government chooses to spend it on roads."

It's CRAP(S). and we need to call it that.