The government is to publish an Integrated Transport Strategy for England that will set out how all forms of mobility can be made to work better together, Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh has announced.
It will outline a vision for how transport across England can evolve over the coming 10 years with an aspiration that more areas can enjoy “better, more seamless journeys door-to-door.” Transport for London and the Bee Network in Greater Manchester are cited as examples of how that is already being delivered.
A “people-first” approach will recognise that different passengers have different needs and that existing transport quality “varies across the country.” How the government can support local areas in delivering better integration will be outlined in the document, the Department for Transport (DfT) says.
Part of that work involves what DfT describes as reform of its transport project appraisal system. That will include giving “sufficient weight” to those projects that enhance access to employment, boost productivity and help businesses to grow, particularly in less affluent areas.
An Integrated Transport Commissioner will be recruited to oversee the work. Supporting will be an internal panel of experts, who are reviewing DfT’s capital spend portfolio to drive better economic outcomes in the transport system in England.
Ms Haigh announced the Integrated Transport Strategy for England at Leeds Civic Hall on 28 November. Present were mayors and senior transport figures. Earlier this year she visited the French city of Dijon, where buses run on five-minute peak headways and trams every three minutes.
DfT highlights how Dijon also has a demand responsive service for outlying villages and an app that brings together all modes of transport include car hire and parking, and bike hire. By population size, Dijon is smaller than York.
The Transport Secretary says that integrated transport in England “is lagging behind our European counterparts” and that “for far too long, our fragmented transport networks have stunted growth and made it harder for people to get around.”
Regional roadshows will be held to seek opinions from local leaders, transport operators and passenger bodies. The public will be invited to participate via a call for ideas on the gov.uk website.
“I want everyone to be able to contribute to this vision, and have launched a call for ideas on how the strategy can best deliver greater opportunity, healthier communities, and better lives,” Ms Haigh adds.
Transport Focus Chief Executive Alex Robertson likens the work as being similar to that done in the early-2000s by Transport for London on its first Transport Strategy. There, transport was linked to economic development, social inclusion and environmental objectives “in a way that made a real difference to how decisions were made.”
Mr Robertson describes the ambition to do the same nationally as “fantastic,” although he adds that delivering it will not be easy. “As the voice of Britain’s transport users, we will be making sure their views are at the heart of this important work,” he says.
In a notable response to the announcement, RAC Head of Policy Simon Williams points out that the motoring organisation’s research has shown that around half of drivers would use their car less if public transport provision was better than it is currently.
“Joining up different public transport options – especially in towns and cities – can go a long way towards making them more attractive alongside ensuring that services are frequent, affordable, and take people [to] where they need to go,” adds Mr Williams.
