Latest Transport Department report pledges shift to public and active transport

The report, Decarbonising Transport – Setting the Challenge, outlines the government’s latest intentions to tackle climate change through drastic transport changes.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps states that 2020 will be the year that the government will set out the policies needed to reduce transport emissions and ultimately create a net zero transport system.

Key aims of the report include:

• Making public transport and active travel (e.g. walking or cycling) the natural first choice for daily activities.
• The creation of a convenient, cost-effective and coherent public transport network.
• All road vehicles (including motorcycles and HGVs) will be zero emission.
• Clean, place-based solutions will meet the needs of local people.

This significant development in the government’s approach to the climate emergency is a welcome one as it supports work around active travel that our Supporting Health Inclusive Neighbourhood Environments Health Integration Team (SHINE HIT) has done locally.

Responding to the report, Prof Adrian Davis, Co-Director of SHINE, said: “The rhetoric is truly remarkable and indicative of a recognition of the failings of past car-dominant policies. The ‘conversation’, as the document is described, comes at a time when people are going through massive forced changes in their travel behaviour. Lessons from COVID-19 could help demonstrate that quality of life could be as good, if not better, with less car-oriented lifestyles and greater priority given to health and environmental sustainability.”