The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) in the UK has written to the newly-elected mayors of nine combined authorities across England, urging the delivery of their bus service improvement plans (BSIPs) using capital funding already allocated to them for local transport projects by government.
Commenting on the letters, Graham Vidler, CEO of CPT said: “For better buses our message is simple: please put bus first on the road by delivering your BSIP including all of the bus priority measures outlined to keep buses out of congestion and deliver the 10% improvement in bus speeds that CPT has called for in its national manifesto for buses.”
According to the CPT, a 10% increase in bus speeds could increase passenger numbers and reduce operating costs, which can be reinvested into local services and save the average household £400 a year in transport spending.
Vidler said the CPT wants each mayor to recognise the importance of coach services to both local residents and businesses by addressing coach properly in their local transport plans; by opening up bus lanes to coaches in all but exceptional situations; and by providing more coach parking as a key part of efforts to make commuting and tourism more sustainable.
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“Regardless of any plans they may have to reform bus regulation, CPT urges the mayors to get on with delivering their bus service improvement plans using the capital funding that has already been allocated to them for local transport projects by government,” continued Vidler.
“Together these provide more than enough capital funding for the mayors to deliver all of their aspirations for buses. The only thing that will slow down improvements is a lack of political will to pursue their ambitions to shift some journeys away from the car and towards more sustainable modes.”
The newly-elected mayors written to by the CPT hail from the following nine combined authorities: East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, North East, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, and York and North Yorkshire.
Achievements and innovations in public transport will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector.
