The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has responded to the Prime Minister’s New Deal announcement, emphasising the importance of buses in supporting the UK’s economic recovery following COVID-19.
CPT Chief Executive Graham Vidler said: “Buses are central to delivering the Prime Minister’s New Deal by helping to connect people sustainably with new job and skill opportunities across the country.
“Despite delivering £10s of billions to the economy each year buses are often forgotten in transport planning meaning they become stranded in congestion, which we know causes economic harm.
“The National Infrastructure Strategy is an opportunity to ensure that buses are given priority in the transport network and any new road scheme or development must be evaluated for its ability to improve bus and coach journey times.
“Buses are the best way of using our road network to get large numbers of people to work and to leisure and retail venues to help deliver the Prime Minister’s New Deal. We look forward to working with the Government and the UK’s bus manufacturing sector to ensure the bus network can help deliver the ambitions he will set out today.”
