Take up the baton

Question

The lack of measures available to revitalise other modes of transport would make it impossible for more sustainable modes of transport to take up the baton. What does the underlined part mean?

Persian Learner · Accepted Answer

From Oxford Dictionary:

Take up (or pick up) the baton.

PHRASE

Accept a particular duty or responsibility.
‘it was left to the capital's campuses to take up the baton’
- More example sentences:
- ‘Younger people are needed to take up the baton and continue to fight for Bingley, but there seems to be little interest.’
- ‘This time last year, another past student, Ruth Maloney, took up the baton as musical director for such school productions and has done a wonderful job.’
- ‘‘I hope to pick up the baton where he's left it,’ Spence said last week.’
- ‘Their father was a great loss but we were all delighted when Elaine and John decided to take up the baton.’
- ‘There are younger players, like Owen, who have picked up the baton, and England still have other good strikers.’
- ‘Somebody needs to pick up the baton here and, you know, without kind of waiting for a consensus or without demanding concessions.’
- ‘This is a Government initiative and Bradford is happy to take up the baton.’
- ‘So it goes back to what we've been talking about for months, business spending needs to pick up the baton.’
- ‘This year, people in 23 other locations around the country took up the baton and organised Goal Miles in their own locality.’
- ‘There are plenty of other districts in Essex which are willing to pick up the baton.’

Take up the baton

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