The Government must prioritise long term funding certainty for public transport and active travel in city regions in next week’s Spring Budget, the Urban Transport Group has urged.
In a letter to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, the group – the UK’s network of transport authorities – said transport investment is key to ‘securing sustainable economic growth and good social outcomes for millions across the country.’
Jason Prince, Director of the Urban Transport Group, who signed the letter, wrote: “Funding for public transport, walking and cycling should not be viewed simply as a cost but as an investment in growth and ultimately the future of our people and places. Transformative change cannot be achieved without certainty of funding.”
Mr Prince also called for the ‘continued devolution of decision making’, with a dual focus on both revenue and capital funding for transport.
In its associated submission to the Treasury, the Urban Transport Group specifically called for:
- greater use of long-term, consolidated and devolved models of transport funding, such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS).
- a devolved single pot, long-term funding settlement for the bus, that includes funding certainty on revenue for the bus after 2025.
- an end to competition funding, which drains the limited resources of transport authorities, and offers no guarantee of a successful outcome.
(PIC: HM TREASURY/FLICKR)
