Guernsey Press

Lockdown has shown healthier way of life

NO ONE can deny the terrible hardship, heartache, worries and huge ongoing problems that the current coronavirus outbreak has caused, but in the midst of all the difficulties there have also been some noticeable benefits, and none more so than the quieter roads which transformed the island in so many positive ways.

Published

Our choice of daily exercise throughout has been to cycle to somewhere on the coast for a swim before returning home through the lanes. The journeys there and back have been a joy, with more people walking and cycling in the lanes than I have witnessed in many a decade, and even I, an avid and long-time campaigner for less traffic, was amazed at the effect the lack of noise and noxious vehicle fumes had on increasing our enjoyment and awareness of the natural environment that surrounds us.

Passing other cyclists and pedestrians on the roads, or even people in their gardens, gave us an opportunity to make that important human connection, to smile and say hello, to sometimes stop and, at a safe distance, have a brief chat and catch up with news; pleasures that are rarely enjoyed when driving and everybody else is driving too, each encased in their own box, separated and unaware of the concerns of those around them or the effect their passing has on the surroundings.

The quieter roads have given many people of all ages and sizes, including families with young children, the courage to give cycling a go, proving that the island is perfect for cycling if the conditions are right. Everyone we met and talked with agreed that the lack of traffic really was a revelation. It showed us with great clarity what the island has lost over the last 50 or so years with our car-accommodating policies, and it gave us a glimpse of how things could be if we decided to make the changes.

Obviously, cars are always going to be an important part of our transport system; they are amazing tools and there are certain journeys for which only the car will do, and for some people they are a lifeline. But we have got into the habit in Guernsey of using them as the default mode of transport for every journey, no questions asked, and the consequence of that is that we have lost much of the quietness and ambience of the island that Covid has allowed us to rediscover.

We need to consider how we envisage Guernsey in the future. What kind of island do we want to be? Do we want to be seen as a community that, despite our large population and tiny size, has a culture of status symbol cars and car-dependency with all the societal and environmental costs that entails, because we value the convenience and comfort that cars offer, over and above all else? Or would we rather be seen as an island that proudly extols travelling actively as the norm, despite the greater effort required, because our values are aligned to the promotion of good health and the protection and preservation of our precious island environment more than our desires for material comforts?

Covid-19 is not the only problem we are facing. There are several others jostling for attention: the costly problems associated with inactivity; our beleaguered tourist industry; the inappropriate use and constant demand on our limited land space; mental health; noise and exhaust pollution, to name a few. And then there’s climate change. Travelling actively provides an answer to them all and needs to be part of an ambitious plan to build back a better Guernsey than we had pre-Covid-19.

We can all be a part of the solution by being more thoughtful about every journey we make and which transport mode we choose, but it is vital that the government also steps up to the challenge by making the right choice, i.e. the choice that will deliver the best long-term outcome for the whole community (in this case travelling actively) the easiest and most desirable choice to make.

This current crisis has caused us to pause, and amongst the hardship we were able to get a glimpse of a different world. Let’s not lose this opportunity to build back a better Guernsey where travelling actively is seen as normal and our reputation becomes one of good environmental stewardship and good health.

ROSIE DOREY

St Andrew’s.