Seven transport policies for seven bins 

4 October 2023

PM Rishi Sunak recently caused a combination of alarm, amusement and disbelief when suggesting that a series of non-existent policies would not be pursued, including seven recycling bins per household, ban on eating meat and compulsory car-sharing.  

Rather than focusing on phantom policies and conspiracy theories, Campaign for Better Transport is urging the PM to bin the following seven real transport policies which are detrimental to communities and the country as a whole. 

1. Axing the Northern leg of HS2 – Reducing HS2 to a stump of 140 miles of track from Old Oak Common to Birmingham would leave the UK embarrassingly behind other countries, let down the North of England, be a colossal waste of money and fail to provide much needed capacity on the network. 
2. Cutting bus lanes – Reducing bus lane operational hours contradicts policies laid down in the National Bus Strategy which aimed to create bus priority measures similar to those which have proved so successful in London. 
3. Encouraging motorists to break the law – Limiting the powers of local authorities to fine drivers who are caught on camera breaking rules such as driving in bus lanes, yellow boxes and through no left turn signs will simply encourage dangerous and irresponsible driving and further squeeze already limited council resources. 
4. Misrepresenting 15-minute cities – The Government has seized on conspiracy theories propagated on social media to promote the concept of ‘creating communities in which people have access to the services they need to live, learn and thrive, all within a 15-minute walk or cycle ride of their home’ as a covert surveillance operation, in a cynical attempt to win votes. 
5. Delaying the phase-out date for the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by five years has caused uproar within the car industry and sends a negative message to the public. Suggesting that we are aligning with Europe can only be justified if we also align with Europe on other areas such as high-speed rail, freight and local transport networks.
6. Cutting Air Passenger Duty for domestic passengers has increased the number of domestic flights (even between cities well-connected by rail) and increased carbon emissions without saving passengers time or money in many instances.   
7. Raising Rail Fares in March next year by up to eight per cent, whilst fuel duty has been frozen for 13 years, will worsen road congestion and damage the economy.  

Norman Baker, from Campaign for Better Transport, said: “The Government’s not long-term transport planning; it’s short-term expediency. Ripping up 25 years of transport policies – many enacted under previous Conservative Governments – in a desperate attempt to win votes is deeply retrograde and will damage communities, the country and the planet.” 

ENDS 

For further information please contact the press office on 07984 773 468 (calls only no texts) or communications@bettertransport.org.uk. 

Notes to Editors

1. Read Rishi Sunak’s speech on changes to Net Zero policies. 
2. Read the Government’s Plan for Drivers. 
3. Read Campaign for Better Transport’s response to the planned axing of the Northern leg of HS2. 
4. The extension of 24-hour bus lanes in London was started in July 2020. It was not a controversial measure and has now become permanent. Time-limited bus lanes are actually more confusing, as they often lead to motorists being caught out. 
5. Read Bus Back Better, the National Strategy for Buses in England.  
6. Campaign for Better Transport’s recent report, Plane speaking: moving journeys from air to rail, compared the top 23 domestic and UK to Europe flights which all have a direct rail equivalent on cost, journey time and carbon emissions and revealed that: Over half (57%) of routes were cheaper, or no more expensive by rail and 70 per cent were quicker, or the same by rail once airport processing times were added to flight times. 
7. Campaign for Better Transport was founded as Transport 2000 on 6 February 1973. 2023 marks its 50th year of campaigning for all communities to have access to high quality, sustainable transport that meets their needs, improves quality of life and protects the environment. Campaign for Better Transport Charitable Trust is a registered charity (1101929) which operates in England and Wales.