Press Notices

30.10.07:
Hendy welcomes new transport framework

The Government's transport advisor, the Commission for Integrated Transport has welcomed the publication today of a new framework for transport policy^[1]. The Department for Transport publication sets out new goals for transport policy, and provides a new framework for making decisions on transport investment across different modes.

The Commission's Chair, Peter Hendy said, "We must strike a balance between our quality of life and the quality of our environment and this gets it about right. The focus on productivity, carbon, safety, health and opportunity is very welcome. These are well-balanced goals, responding to economic, environmental and social pressures. CfIT is particularly keen to see progress on climate change and on road user charging nationally, which continues to be vital to the development of the UK economy.

"Also welcome is the development of a framework to make strategy and investment decisions which are spread equally among the different modes. As both CfIT^[2] and Sir Rod Eddington have previously suggested, it is essential to identify the problems facing the transport network and look at all the options to find the right solution, without any prior assumptions. The changes to the existing strategy, funding and decision-making cycles for the different forms of transport will leave Government well-placed to make these decisions."

The report, Towards a Sustainable Transport System, chimes with CfIT's research into a wide variety of transport topics. The intention to allow reform of transport governance in city regions, to support local road pricing pilots and to devolve more funding to sub-regions bears out recent CfIT research^[3]. But perhaps most significant for CfIT is the recognition that there is potential to achieve greater cuts in carbon emissions from transport in the shorter term than are currently planned. This is based on CfIT's finding in its Transport & Climate Change report^[4] that it would be possible to reduce carbon emissions from UK transport by 2020 by 71% over current plans. This was based on recommendations for five cost-effective packages of measures targeting vehicle technology, better driving, travel choice, freight and aviation.

Peter Hendy said, "The promise of extensive consultation on this framework is to be applauded. The Commission is already in discussion with DfT about improvements to the transport appraisal framework and we look forward to further involvement in this process."

Notes to editors:

1. Towards a Sustainable Transport System was published by the Department for Transport and is at: www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/transportstrategy/.
2. Affordable Mass Transit - Guidance, CfIT 2005, at www.cfit.gov.uk/docs/2005/amt/index.htm.
3. Moving Forward: Better Transport for City Regions, CfIT 2007 at www.cfit.gov.uk/docs/2007/moving/index.htm.
   World Review of Road Pricing, CfIT 2006, at www.cfit.gov.uk/docs/2006/wrrp/wrrp2/index.htm.
   Integrated Transport Delivery - Is It Working Across Government Departments?, CfIT 2006 at www.cfit.gov.uk/docs/2006/itd2006/index.htm.
4. Transport & Climate Change, CfIT 2007, at www.cfit.gov.uk/docs/2007/climatechange/index.htm.
5. The Commission for Integrated Transport was set up by Government to provide it with independent advice on strategic transport policy issues. More information on the Commission, its members and work can be found at www.cfit.gov.uk.