Labour – ‘No more tinkering on the edges’

With a general election drawing closer, shadow transport minister Simon Lightwood addressed bus and coach operators in London last week

 
Simon Lightwood at last week’s CPT Conference

 
An incoming Labour government would use simplified and extended franchising powers to grow public transport, and provide the sector with greater certainty. That was the message from shadow local transport minister Simon Lightwood at last week’s CPT Conference in London.

Lightwood told delegates: “No more tinkering around the edges … Labour’s bold industrial strategy, together with our ambitious plan for communities to take back control of their transport system will allow the sector and the economy to thrive.”

This government has presided over the managed decline of our nation’s bus network

“This government has presided over the managed decline of our nation’s bus network,” he said. “The stats speak for themselves – 300 million fewer bus miles last year compared to 2010. Thousands of bus routes lost over the last decade.”

He said the pledge to introduce 4,000 new zero emission buses was “woefully off-target” and he attacked prime minister Rishi Sunak for suggesting that cars could be allowed in bus lanes.

 
Labour’s remedy is primarily focussed on the simplification and extension of franchising powers to all parts of England under a new Take Back Control Act. He said: “Labour’s plans are nothing short of the biggest, most ambitious reform to the bus network in 40 years.”

The stability of franchise contracts will provide the certainty the sector needs for strategic, long-term investment in the business

Lightwood argued that reversing deregulation of buses was in the interests of bus operators: “The stability of franchise contracts will provide the certainty the sector needs for strategic, long-term investment in the business.”

Outlining his vision of the future, he said: “Public transport will be absolutely key for economic growth in our towns and cities … and key in also achieving our carbon targets. So I see very much the future as working hand in hand with you guys to grow your businesses, to grow your passenger numbers.”

However, Lightwood warned that expectations need to be managed because “we won’t be able to deliver everything we want to deliver as quickly perhaps as we would like”, and he would not commit to providing the UK bus sector with a five-year funding settlement as demanded by CPT.

 
This article appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

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The post Labour – ‘No more tinkering on the edges’ first appeared on Passenger Transport.

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