The Confederation of Passenger Transport is calling for a number of actions to make coach travel easier for users and operators
Coaches must be placed at the heart of local and national transport planning, the Confederation of Passenger Transport says. In a new submission to the Government’s consultation on an Integrated National Transport Strategy, the CPT is calling for steps to ensure that coaches are able to reach their destinations swiftly and affordably, with adequate parking and drop-off facilities. The CPT’s submission calls for coaches to be allowed to use bus lanes by default, unless
a specific reason is provided for excluding them, the creation of new categories for clean air zones to allow for charging of high polluting vehicles while exempting coaches, and a requirement for local transport authorities to collect data on the current and potential coach market, and to include coaches in Local Transport Plans.
Chief Executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport Graham Vidler said: “It is a breath of fresh air to hear the Government talk about integrated transport, with a vision of seamless door-to-door journeys for people going about their daily lives across England. Buses and coaches are vital in achieving the Government’s goal of joined up transport. Taken together, they offer the most sustainable, affordable and convenient alternatives to travelling by car.
“Too often, coaches have been left out of transport planning. It is time to put that right. The coach is the nation’s hidden public transport network – often stepping in when other parts of the transport network are unable to deliver. Given the vital role they play, buses and coaches should get priority over cars on the road network. And passengers deserve a safe, convenient place to disembark at the end of their journeys.”
The Department for Transport set out its ambition for an integrated strategy in November, with a vision for how transport across England can evolve over the next decade, and a call for input into the future strategy ends this month.
