Responding to the outcome of the election, and the Queen’s Speech, UTG Chair, Stephen Edwards, said:

‘We welcome the new Government’s commitment to working with the city regions to improve their transport networks. We share the Government’s view that transforming their transport networks is a key way in which the potential of towns and cities can be unleashed. We believe that the best way to achieve this will be a new funding deal for local transport. A settlement that will put local transport spending on a stable long term footing so that we can plan and deliver the best strategies for cutting carbon emissions, expanding public transport networks and making walking and cycling a safe and easy option.’

‘We also look forward to working with the Government on its other key transport priorities including how rail reform can best deliver for the city regions, how we can ramp up the electrification of urban transport and on how we can reverse the decline in bus use.’

In its engagement with the new Government UTG will be reflecting the findings of its ‘what next for urban transport’ report which it published in September which identified four urban transport challenges and four solutions needed to overcome them.

The four challenges are:

• Climate change and air quality
• Inclusive growth
• Technological change
• Health and wellbeing

 The four solutions are:

• Help people to make more short journeys on foot or by bike
• Get city regions back on the bus
• Boost rail capacity
• Harness the power of technological change

For further information contact: Jonathan Bray, Director 0113 251 7445 / 0781 8041485 Jonathan.bray@urbantransportgrup.org