Government must provide the infrastructure for the timely, safe and efficient transportation of people and goods throughout our nation. Sadly, the neglect of our transport framework has resulted in delays, frustration and lost opportunities. Our railway system has been carved up, buses starved of funds and our roads left to deteriorate. Investment, planning and integration is required to provide a system which fully serves the citizen.
POLICY PLEDGES
- Our railway system will be nationalised. Rail operator franchises will be taken back into public ownership as they fall due via a re-established British Railways.
- British Railways will be a comprehensive, fully integrated system encompassing the ownership of track and infrastructure, rolling stock, stations and ticketing. The Minister for Rail will be responsible and accountable for making the newly nationalised system work for the public.
- We will favour bids by UK owned and based qualified manufacturers for new contracts to supply locomotives and rolling stock, including sub-systems and components. A rolling long term programme of train-line electrification will be established.
- We will scale back HS2 and invest some of the freed-up funds to create a Great Northern Railway Network, better linking up the towns and cities of the North of England to unleash their joint potential. We will seek to reopen at least 10 closed railway stations annually in growth corridors.
- Funding for bus travel will be increased to enablefare reductions, increased frequency, increased security, new bus lanes, integration with other modes of transport and the protection of essential rural routes.
- Contactless payment will be rolled out UK wide for all public transport but the ability to pay for public transport travel cards in cash will be maintained.
- We will invest in renewal, improvement and maintenance of the road network, introducing national regulations for major schemes to require works to be completed in compressed timeframes, avoiding extended periods of restricted traffic flow unless approved by the relevant Minister. All nationally awarded contracts will include penalties for delays.
- We will oppose new low-emission zones unless they have the clear public support of the local community. We will continue to build dedicated cycle lanes, but will not hive space off crowded roads to do so.
- A licence test to ride an e-scooter will be required unless the rider already holds a full driver’s licence. All e-scooters and e-bikes will be speed limited with stiff penalties for overriding speed limits or riding in pedestrian-only spaces.
- A landing fee tax will be introduced for private jet flights in the UK.