The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has highlighted the huge opportunity for new Government to ensure bus and coach help deliver economic growth, decarbonisation, relief from recent inflation, and modal shift.
Responding to the General Election result Graham Vidler, CEO at the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) says,
“The new government has a huge opportunity to use bus and coach services to deliver its key priorities including economic growth, decarbonisation, and relief from recent inflation as well as its targets to shift people away from private car journeys and towards more sustainable public transport. To realise these goals ministers must drive forward policies that help bus operators and local authorities put the right services on the road for local communities.
“Stable long-term investment in the bus sector will be critical, but immediate action must prevent a cliff edge return to fully commercial fares when the £2 fare cap ends in December – a scenario that would harm passengers and services.
“CPT will also work with ministers and local transport authorities to share lessons from the early adopters of bus franchising – to help ensure success in other areas that choose this path. It will continue working too with the many local transport authorities that want to retain a partnership model to deliver more services that are regular, fast, punctual, and more popular.
“For the coach sector the government must work strenuously to ensure the EU Entry/Exit System due to take effect in October does not damage international coach travel. It must also bring forward clear guidance for local transport authorities to include coach in their transport plans and give coaches fair access to all areas (including clean air zones) as part of efforts to curb air pollution and to help unlock the sector’s enormous potential to decarbonise personal travel.
“To address persistent shortages of coach and bus drivers, ministers are urged to deliver promptly the proposals about driver training made earlier this year by the Department for Transport, and to ensure the future of both sectors we urge them to work with us to develop and bring forward an effective national workforce strategy.”
IMAGE-CPT
