The new government’s plan for the next five years was announced yesterday in the King’s Speech during the official State Opening of Parliament. In all, there were 39 new bills announced that were to be passed into law over the next term.
The government’s intentions were met with mixed responses in the transport sector, with some notable topics being omitted.
While the speech covered the intention to nationalise railways and improve infrastructure and housing, there was no mention of bringing forward the cut-off for sales of new petrol and diesel vans to 2030. Nor were there any plans announced in regards to developing electric vehicle infrastructure or creating incentives to EV purchasing.
The government did announce the intention to take passenger rail services into government ownership as the existing contracts expire. This, the government says, will reduce fares and simplify the ticketing process. Additionally, a Better Buses Bill will put the running of local bus services back into the hands of local councils.
Matt Finch, UK Policy manager at Transport and Environment, said: “This is absolutely needed, as is a renewed focus on how to decarbonise planes, trucks and ships,” he said.
“The new Government was elected on a promise to tackle climate change from all sources, including transport, and it mustn’t waste any time on doing so.”
However, while the Better Buses Bill and the establishment of Great British Railways promises to ease congestion, Greg Ford, head of corporate at Red Training, said: “There was little mention of tackling Britain’s crumbling road infrastructure, nor was there any sign of moves to cut road traffic accidents, which remain stubbornly high.”
And Oliver Lord, UK head of the Clean Cities Campaign, is disappointed that the government decided to omit any kind of “clean air bill” to reduce air pollution.
He said: “The Government’s pledges to fix the NHS cannot ignore the fact that air pollution will cost our health and social care system billions every year unless modern day legislation is in place.
“In the absence of the Clean Air Bill, proposals set to be laid before Parliament on buses, rail and devolution provide a clear opportunity to create infrastructure and localised policy that ensures our cities can effectively and rapidly transition to cleaner forms of transport, business and governance that nurture investment and protect our health.”
Overall, the announced bills will make significant changes to many aspects of the UK, but there are still those who believe that there should be more, specifically relating to EV and pollution.
