On 04 July 2024, the British public will vote to elect a new government.
Ahead of this, four of the five largest political parties in the UK – the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party – have published their official manifestos and set out their policies on a range of issues, including, of course, transportation.
Transportation is a critical issue in general elections due to its wide-ranging impact on the economy, environment, public health, social equity, and political perceptions.
Effective transportation policies can address many of the immediate and long-term challenges faced by a country, making it a vital focus for any political campaign.
Here, City Transport & Traffic Innovation Magazine rounds up what each of these parties are promising and pledging to implement transport-wise should they win the upcoming general election…
Conservative Party
- Reallocate £36bn saved from HS2 to fund transport projects across the country.
- Prioritise smaller cities, towns, and rural areas in the North and Midlands with £4.7bn for local transport improvements.
- Invest £8.3bn to fill potholes and resurface roads.
- Provide city regions with an additional £8.55bn for local priorities, including lifting restrictions on Mayors’ investments in strategic roads.
- Commit £12bn to the ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail’ section between Manchester and Liverpool, and fund electrification to Hull and a new station in Bradford.
- Allocate £1.75bn for the ‘Midlands Rail Hub’ to improve journey times and increase rail services at 50 stations, benefiting more than seven million people.
- Provide an additional £1bn to support new bus routes across the North and Midlands.
- Improve accessibility at 100 train stations.
- Deliver upgrades to railways in the South West and North Wales.
- Introduce ‘world-leading legislation’ to support the deployment of automated vehicles on British roads.
- Ensure a nationwide charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, including rapid charging.
- Introduce a Rail Reform Bill to create Great British Railways, focusing on private-public partnerships and modernising the railway system.
- Expand mobile pay-as-you-go contactless ticketing nationwide.
- Work with Active Travel England to improve safety for walking and cycling, including safe routes to schools and protection for vulnerable road users.
- Extend the £2 bus fare cap for the next Parliament.
- Implement reforms to make better use of bus lanes and introduce penalties for overrunning street works.
- Simplify paying for parking with the National Parking Platform.
- Maintain a pledge to build no new smart motorways but improve existing ones’ safety.
- Stop road pricing and ban local councils from introducing pay-per-mile schemes.
- Reverse the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London.
- Rule out blanket Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and 20mph zones unless locally supported.
Labour Party
- Fix an additional one million potholes across England each year of the next parliament.
- Support the transition to electric vehicles by accelerating the rollout of chargepoints and restoring the phase-out date of 2030 for new cars with internal combustion engines.
- Overhaul Britain’s railways, bringing them into public ownership as existing contracts expire or are broken.
- Great British Railways will deliver a unified system focusing on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient services.
- Promote and grow the use of rail freight and create a tough new passenger watchdog to drive up standards.
- Reform the bus system by providing new powers for local leaders to franchise local bus services and lifting the ban on municipal ownership.
- Give local communities control over routes and schedules, improving reliability and accessibility.
- Empower mayors to create unified and integrated transport systems, promoting seamless journeys and active travel networks.
- Develop a long-term strategy for transport infrastructure to ensure efficient and timely delivery.
- Tackle congestion and promote active travel networks, ensuring infrastructure meets the needs of modern transportation demands.
Liberal Democrats
- Rapidly roll out far more charging points, including residential on-street points and ultra-fast chargers at service stations.
- Support new charging points with an upgraded National Grid and a step-change in local grid capacity.
- Cut VAT on public charging to 5%.
- Require all charging points to be accessible with a bank card.
- Reintroduce the plug-in car grant.
- Restore the requirement that every new car and small van sold from 2030 is zero-emission.
- Freeze rail fares and simplify ticketing to ensure affordable prices for regular users.
- Improve stations and greatly improve disabled access.
- Reopen smaller stations.
- Significantly extend the electrification of Britain’s rail network.
- Deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail to connect cities across the North of England.
- Review the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2 for potential value and alternative viability.
- Establish a 10-year plan for rail electrification, invest in zero-carbon technologies, and ensure all new rail lines are electrified.
- Urgently establish a new Railway Agency to join up the industry, hold train companies accountable, and reform the fare system.
- Be proactive in sanctioning and sacking train operators failing to provide high-quality service.
- Explore introducing an annual pass for all railways.
- Improve station accessibility through the Access for All programme.
- Introduce a national freight strategy to move freight from road to rail, supported by a freight growth target and freight route electrification.
- Boost bus services by giving local authorities more powers to franchise services and simplify funding to restore or add routes, especially in rural areas.
- Maintain the £2 cap on bus fares during a review of fares.
- Replace multiple funding streams with one integrated fund for local authorities to expand bus services and switch to zero-emission vehicles.
- Extend programmes to encourage local authorities and bus operators to transition to zero-emission buses.
- Support rural bus services and encourage alternatives where conventional services are not viable, such as on-demand services.
- Transform travel by creating new cycling and walking networks through a nationwide active travel strategy.
- Allocate more of the roads budget to local councils for maintaining roads, pavements, and cycleways, including pothole repairs.
- Extend half-fares on buses, trams, and trains to 18-year-olds.
- Introduce a ‘Young Person’s Buscard’ to give 19- to 25-year-olds a third off bus and tram fares.
- Devolve greater decision-making powers and resources to local authorities in England for public transport infrastructure tailored to community needs.
- Support local authorities to introduce network-wide ticketing similar to London.
- Integrate bus, rail, and light rail ticketing systems to allow for a daily fare cap for multiple trips per day.
Green Party
- An additional £19bn over five years to improve public transport, support electrification, and invest in new cycleways and footpaths, reallocating funding earmarked for road building.
- Shift the transport system away from cars and roads, restore the fuel-duty escalator, and introduce road-pricing to protect users’ privacy.
- Replace all petrol and diesel vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) within a decade, with funding rising to £5bn per year by the end of the parliament and rapid rollout of EV charging points.
- End sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2027 and use by 2035, make road tax proportional to vehicle weight, and set 20mph as the default speed limit in built-up areas.
- More government support for car users and small businesses to replace vehicles, and support firms using heavy goods vehicles to transition to rail freight.
- Ensure £2.5bn a year is invested in new cycleways and footpaths, built with sustainable materials.
- Reimagine residential streets to reduce traffic and open them up for community use.
- Adopt Active Travel England’s objective for 50% of trips in towns and cities to be walked, wheeled, or cycled by 2030.
- Give local authorities control over and funding to increase urban services and ensure rural areas have a bus service to every village.
- Push for investment in a modern, efficient, publicly owned railway with affordable fares and greater investment in rapid electrification.
- Bring the railways back into public ownership.
- Adopt a national strategic approach to identify and reopen rail lines and stations, led by regional and local governments.
CiTTi analysis
Each party’s manifesto presents a distinct approach to transportation and mobility, reflecting their broader political philosophies and priorities.
The Conservative Party emphasises a ‘balanced approach’, prioritising infrastructure investments and technological advancements. It supports private-public partnerships and regional projects, reflecting the party’s traditional focus on economic growth and stability. However, its approach may lack the urgency needed for a rapid transition to sustainable transport.
The Labour Party is aiming for a comprehensive overhaul, emphasising public ownership and long-term planning. Its policies focus on integrating transport systems, supporting local control, and ensuring sustainable development. Labour’s approach reflects a desire to correct perceived neglect and mismanagement by the current Conservative government, aiming for a more equitable and efficient transport network. And yet, while Labour’s comprehensive approach is promising, it could face significant financial and logistical hurdles, particularly in achieving public ownership of railways and extensive infrastructure projects.
The Liberal Democrats focus on integrating and simplifying transport systems, with significant investments in electrification and local empowerment. Their policies aim to make public transport more accessible and affordable, reflecting their commitment to social equity and environmental sustainability. However, while the Liberal Democrats may offer a balanced and detailed plan, the party may struggle with the breadth of integration and the complexities of local implementation.
Finally, the Green Party stands out with its aggressive push for public ownership, rapid transition to electric vehicles, and extensive investments in active travel infrastructure. Its policies are heavily influenced by environmental concerns, aiming for a swift transition to sustainable transport modes. However, the Greens’ ambitious plans might face practical challenges in implementation, especially given the required scale of investment and coordination.
While all parties recognise the importance of improving transportation and mobility, their approaches vary significantly. The Green Party clearly prioritises environmental sustainability, the Conservatives focus on infrastructure and technological innovation, the Liberal Democrats emphasise integration and local empowerment, and Labour advocates for comprehensive public ownership and long-term planning.
Each approach undoubtedly has its strengths and potential weaknesses, reflecting the four parties’ broader visions for the future of the UK’s transport system.
What do you think about each party’s proposed approach to transport? Let us know via City Transport & Traffic Innovation Magazine’s LinkedIn page!
