UK Transport Policy: From Hope To Uncertainty In 48 Hours

In a case of barely being able to keep up with the news, one minute active travel campaigners were lining up to welcome the Transport Secretary’s plans for a new ‘People First’ integrated transport strategy, the next we’re all left wondering if the plans will see the light of day.

On Thursday 29 November, Louise Haigh, then the Transport Secretary, announced plans for transport that signalled a clear emphasis on making public transport and active travel work for people – with integrated planning and a people-centric approach. This followed many months of positive noises from the Transport Secretary, as well as significant work by active travel campaigners to educate Haigh of the many benefits – and policy impediments – to getting more people into active travel or public transport. The plans were welcomed:

Tim Burns, Head of Policy at active travel charity Sustrans, said:

“The need for an integrated transport strategy that works for everyone was front and centre among our election manifesto asks of the new Government. That’s why we welcome today’s commitment and the vision of integrated transport that puts the needs of people first.

“Walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport have to work hand in hand to deliver a people first approach that improves our health and the environment, provides access to jobs and education, and makes our neighbourhoods better places to live.

“We now need to see the vision turned into reality, through a strategy that puts more resources into giving people greater choice in how they access the things they need to live well. We’ll look forward to working with the government to make this happen.”

Responding to the Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh’s speech on the government’s Integrated Transport Strategy, Sarah McMonagle, director of external affairs at Cycling UK, said: 

“We warmly welcome the Secretary of State’s vision for an Integrated Transport Strategy and her intention to put people at the heart of it. We have long called for a strategy that connects cycling with public transport to bring our network up to the standards we see in other European nations. Better integration with trains and buses means more affordable and sustainable travel. Communities deserve a transport system that enables more people to choose cycling, whether for everyday trips or as part of longer journeys. 

“Investment in cycling has countless benefits, from strengthening local economies to reducing pollution and improving public health. We welcome the commitment from the Secretary of State to promote walking and cycling for shorter journeys. For the strategy to succeed and to meet our environmental commitments, we need to see clear targets on traffic reduction as well as long-term investment in active and sustainable transport.” 

Her comments were welcomed by Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK), the UK’s national charity for shared transport, which includes car clubs, bike and e-bike sharing, and public e-scooter hire. Commenting, Richard Dilks, chief executive of CoMoUK, said:

“It is great to hear Louise Haigh acknowledge that the expansion of shared transport schemes will have a key role to play in improving how we all get around. Schemes such as car clubs, bike share and e-scooter hire are used by millions of people and growing fast in popularity across the country, but they still have an enormous amount of unrealised potential.

“We look forward to helping ministers shape the coming revolution, which we know is needed if we are to reduce people’s reliance on private cars and meet our net zero targets.

“Today’s vision for a national strategy is a step in the right direction – what we need now is for these promising words to be turned into real action. We look forward to engaging with this process to help do that.”

As part of this announcement, there is a ‘Call For Ideas’, to which both transport professionals and the general public can respond. If you’ve got a minute, you could go and give your views – every voice in the pro cycling box helps!

Then, on Friday 30th November, we woke up to the news that Louise Haigh had resigned over what on the face of it and in the scheme of misdemeanours by politicians seems to fall into a pretty minor category of wrongdoing. Will her successor take as positive a view of public transport and active travel? Or will we get a motor-normative replacement?

Whoever takes her place, making the government hear that her proposals were welcomed by many can surely only add pressure on them to carry on where she left off. Perhaps take a minute to respond to the Call For Ideas, and/or write to your MP, and then at least if it all falls through we’ll have retained the right to moan.