Rail reforms and a minimum service level for buses are key asks

 

 
The Campaign for Better Transport has published its general election manifesto, outlining its transport asks for the next government.
 
The manifesto calls for prioritising investment in public transport, walking, and cycling over road building. It also advocates for replacing short-term competitive funding with long-term, multi-modal funding settlements for all local transport authorities and seeks a commitment to set a target for a shift towards public transport and active travel.

Key demands include simplifying and making rail fares more affordable through reforms to the fares and ticketing systems. They include freezing rail fares while fuel duty remains frozen and replacing the Retail Price Index with the Consumer Price Index for calculating annual regulated fare increases. CBT has also called for a cap on peak fares at 20% above the off-peak fare, the continuing rollout of single leg and multi-modal ticketing with capped pricing across all city regions, and work towards a national interoperable model.

The manifesto also calls for establishing an arms-length integrated rail body, ambitious targets for electrification, a strategy to match existing trains to electrified routes, and developing an ongoing pipeline of new train orders to provide long-term certainty for the rail sector.

Whatever the result of the forthcoming election, we need to ensure that creating a fairer, more sustainable transport system is top of the agenda for the next government,” said Silviya Barrett, CBT’s director of policy and research

It also highlights the need for progress on essential infrastructure projects such as Northern Powerhouse Rail, East West Rail, and the northern legs of HS2. Additionally, it supports more open access services on viable routes and an International Rail Strategy to ensure the UK is directly connected to more European cities.

For buses, the Campaign for Better Transport calls for new legislation that outlines minimum levels of bus service provision for all communities and makes the provision of socially and economically necessary services a statutory requirement. 

It also advocates reallocating a proportion of the road investment budget to buses to ensure local transport authorities have sufficient funding to deliver that minimum level of service. 

Other bus-related asks include:

  • Extending bus franchising powers to all local authorities;
  • Establishing a national standard for real-time information at bus stops;
  • Making bus operators statutory consultees for new housing developments; and
  • Implementing a nationwide standard scheme of discounted flat fares for children and young people under 22.

“Whatever the result of the forthcoming election, we need to ensure that creating a fairer, more sustainable transport system is top of the agenda for the next government,” said Silviya Barrett, CBT’s director of policy and research.

“Prioritising investment in public transport, shared travel, walking and cycling with a commitment to reduce the number of car journeys should be a priority, for the sake of communities, the economy and the planet.”

 
This article appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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