Responding to the Queen’s Speech, Jonathan Bray, Director of the Urban Transport Group, said:

“We welcome today’s announcement of a new Transport Bill which, if true to the Government’s wider devolutionary objectives, should provide an opportunity to deepen and extend the proven benefits of local decision making on local transport.

“On rail, we want to see the legislation facilitate the full range of options for devolving responsibilities for local and urban rail services to transport authorities so that more places can benefit from the kind of transformation in rail services that, thanks to local control, has already happened on London Overground and on Merseyrail.

“On bus, we want to see the streamlining of the cumbersome legislative process for returning bus networks to public control so bus networks can become as integrated and accountable in other major urban areas as they already are in London.

“On the regulation of new mobility formats, we want to see Government set vehicle safety standards whilst giving the city regions powers to regulate local markets in the public interest and in line with local circumstances. We look forward to working with Government and with Parliamentarians on the Bill to help ensure it becomes effective legislation.”