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BMA calls for public health involvement in transport planning.
Public health doctors should be more involved in transport planning according to the BMA Conference in Llandudno on Tuesday.
The Renfrewshire Division proposed the motion, which was carried by a large majority. The proposer drew attention to the increasing transport-related mortality world wide and the designation of the issue as a key problem by the World Health Organisation, which recently made it a theme of World Health Day.
Supporting the motion Dr.Stephen Watkins, who is Stockport’s Director of Public Health, the lead DPH for transport and land use planning for Greater Manchester and the National Chair of the Transport & Health Study Group, described the arrangements in Greater Manchester where regular meetings are held between the Authority’s public health advisers and representatives of all its departments, to consider the health implications of its work and to develop work programmes to address them. He contrasted this positive approach with the attitude of most transport organisations which pay little attention to health. He pointed out that health was affected by transport policy in many ways, including accidents, pollution and the health benefits of walking and cycling.
Dated: 2 August 2004