CPT urges newly-elected Mayors to prioritise bus and coach

The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has written to the newly-elected mayors of nine combined authorities to highlight the contribution bus and coach can make to the realisation of their policy ambitions.

Graham Vidler, CEO of CPT, said: “Millions of bus journeys in England are made in the areas overseen by these mayors, so we’ve written to say that bus operators stand ready to work in partnership with them to transform local bus and coach services using the funding they’ve been given by central government to deliver improvements.

“For better buses our message is simple: please put bus first on the road by delivering your Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) including all of the bus priority measures outlined to keep buses out of congestion and deliver the 10% improvement in bus speeds that CPT has called for in its national manifesto for bus.

“We also want each mayor to recognise the importance of coach services to both local residents and businesses by addressing coach properly in their local transport plans; by opening up bus lanes to coaches in all but exceptional situations; and by providing more coach parking as a key part of their efforts to make commuting and tourism more sustainable.”

Regardless of any plans they may have to reform bus regulation, CPT urges the mayors to get on with delivering their bus service improvement plans using the capital funding that has already been allocated to them for local transport projects by government.

“The only thing that will slow down improvements is a lack of political will to pursue their ambitions to shift some journeys away from the car and towards more sustainable modes” – Graham Vidler, CEO of CPT

Vidler adds: “Together these provide more than enough capital funding for the mayors to deliver all of their aspirations for buses. The only thing that will slow down improvements is a lack of political will to pursue their ambitions to shift some journeys away from the car and towards more sustainable modes.”

Bus and coach are a simple, affordable and popular way to meet a wide range of policy goals to curb the environmental impact of transport, boost local economies and skills, improve placemaking and build stronger communities, CPT asserts. It argues a 10% increase in bus speeds could increase passenger numbers and reduce operating costs, which can be reinvested into local services, as well as saving the average household £400 a year in transport spending.

CPT argues coaches can unlock huge benefits to local businesses, delivering high-spend visitors in a way which minimises congestion and emissions. Coaches also provide a good value alternative to trains, cars and air travel that reduces social exclusion and opens up opportunities for leisure and tourism across the income spectrum.

CPT has written to East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, North East, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and York and North Yorkshire combined authorities.