City region transport authorities have today set out the priorities that the new Prime Minister should address on assuming office on Monday in order to keep the UK’s urban areas moving.  

In a new briefing by the Urban Transport Group, the UK’s network of city region transport authorities, three key areas are identified: 

• Securing the future of affordable local public transport networks through a long-term revenue settlement which is simplified, enhanced and devolved. 
• Working with the city regions on the introduction of a London-style ticketing experience as soon as possible. 
• More integrated transport provision in the city regions through using the Transport Bill to give city regions greater powers over local bus services, heavy rail networks and new forms of transport like e-scooters. 

Jonathan Bray, Director of the Urban Transport Group, said:

As inflation rises, the cost of living crisis intensifies and the reality of climate change becomes ever more apparent, the need to secure the future of affordable and effective local public transport networks is more pressing than ever. 

The last Government rightly stood by public transport during the pandemic. But with COVID restrictions behind us and high inflation in front of us, the new Government needs to put public transport outside London on an even keel through a long term enhanced, simplified and devolved funding settlement which will allow us to provide the affordable public transport networks that our communities will rely on in the challenging times ahead. 

The new Government has the opportunity to build on the success of the devolution of decision making on local transport. The Transport Bill should be used to strengthen our powers to plan bus services, provide a London-style ticketing experience across all forms of public transport, integrate heavy rail networks with the rest of local public transport and to regulate in the public interest new forms of transport like e-scooters.