Buses central to New Deal, says CPT’s Vidler

Buses are central to helping Britain deliver the Prime Minister’s New Deal plan, according to the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s (CPT’s) Chief Executive, Graham Vidler.

Boris Johnson is to announce a “New Deal”, designed to put jobs and infrastructure at the centre of the government’s economic growth strategy. The Prime Minister will announce that the government brings forward £5bn of capital investment projects, supporting jobs and the economic recovery. Among the spending plans is a £100m investment this year for 29 projects on the road network. The Government also intends to look at how best to improve road, rail, air and sea links between the four nations to create a more connected nation. Bus and coach travel is not mentioned specifically.

CPT Chief Executive, Graham Vidler, said: “Buses are central to delivering the Prime Minister’s New Deal by helping to connect people sustainably with new job and skill opportunities across the country.

“Despite delivering £10s of billion to the economy each year buses are often forgotten in transport planning meaning they become stranded in congestion, which we know causes economic harm. The National Infrastructure Strategy is an opportunity to ensure that buses are given priority in the transport network and any new road scheme or development must be evaluated for its ability to improve bus and coach journey times.

“Buses are the best way of using our road network to get large numbers of people to work and to leisure and retail venues to help deliver the Prime Minister’s New deal. We look forward to working with the Government and the UK’s bus manufacturing sector to ensure the bus network can help deliver the ambitions he will set out today.”

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