Energy & Transition
Active transport
Travel by physically active means — chiefly walking and cycling — undertaken in place of motorised trips, delivering public health benefits while cutting transport emissions.
Definition
Journeys made using physical activity as the means of transport, including walking, cycling and other non-motorised modes such as scooters and skates, undertaken for a purpose (commuting, shopping, school runs) rather than primarily for exercise. Walking or cycling legs of multi-modal journeys also count. Also called active travel or active mobility.
References
Definition of active transport/travel; purpose-based journeys; multi-modal legs; Australian policy context.
Health benefits of walking and cycling; ~1 million deaths per year from physical inactivity in the WHO European Region; emissions, air-quality and noise co-benefits; SDG links.
Overview
What it means
Active transport sits at the intersection of transport, health and climate policy. The World Health Organization notes that walking and cycling reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases — in a European region where physical inactivity is estimated to cause about 1 million deaths a year — while producing little or no greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution or noise.
How it is used
Governments promote active transport through cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, road-safety strategies, bike-sharing schemes and proximity-based planning (for example 15-minute-city or 30-minute-city approaches). Health bodies use tools such as health impact assessments to quantify the benefits of shifting trips from cars to walking and cycling.
Why it matters
Motorised transport is a major source of urban emissions and air pollution. Shifting short trips to active modes simultaneously advances decarbonisation, public health, congestion and equity goals. Uptake remains low in car-dependent countries, with safety and infrastructure quality the main barriers.
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