In a bid to accelerate local transport transformations, the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has reached out to the newly-elected mayors of nine combined authorities spanning the North and Midlands regions. The CPT’s CEO, Graham Vidler, emphasised the pivotal role of bus and coach services in realising ambitious policy goals.
Vidler stated, “Millions of bus journeys in England are made in the areas overseen by these mayors, so we’ve written to say that bus operators stand ready to work in partnership with them to transform local bus and coach services using the funding they’ve been given by central government to deliver improvements.”
The CPT’s message underscores the necessity of prioritising buses with the implementation of comprehensive Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP). Key measures, such as bus priority lanes to combat congestion and enhance speed by 10%, are central to their national manifesto.
Furthermore, CPT urges mayors to integrate coach services into local transport strategies by facilitating coach access to bus lanes and expanding coach parking provisions. Vidler emphasised that coach services play a critical role in sustainable commuting and tourism.
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Addressing potential regulatory reforms, CPT stresses the immediacy of utilising allocated government funding for local transport projects to expedite improvements. Vidler added: “Mayors possess ample capital funding to realise their transport ambitions. The hindrance lies in the lack of political will to shift journeys towards sustainable modes.”
Highlighting the broader benefits, bus and coach services offer an affordable, eco-friendly means of achieving diverse policy objectives, from economic growth and enhanced community cohesion to environmental sustainability.
The potential 10% increase in bus speeds could stimulate passenger growth and operational savings, ultimately benefiting local services and households. In addition, coach services present an opportunity to boost local businesses and tourism while reducing congestion and emissions.
CPT has written to the newly elected mayors for the following combined authorities: East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, North East, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and York and North Yorkshire.