Fresh thinking could start a virtuous circle

Local Enterprise Partnerships have a big task on their hands. The last government gave them responsibility for distributing the Local Growth Fund, worth a cumulative £12bn by 2020. LEPs were thus put in the position of deciding which of numerous competing proposals for investment should get the go-ahead. The Transport Knowledge Hub, launched this week, was created at the instigation of LEPs themselves, because they felt the need for greater decision-making support. The hub will provide guidance to best practice through the whole life of a project from inception to completion. Focused on inclusive and sustainable growth, it should make sure all transport modes are treated even-handedly.

This is important, because it helps to address the continuing concern in bus industry circles that bus projects tend to be overlooked Investment in such things as bus priority and smart ticketing are among the main weapons in the battle with congestion, which is slowing bus services down and making them less attractive to passengers. But there is also a need to introduce fresh thinking and new ways of providing transport services to less populated and rural areas, and there is evidence of such thinking in a number of developments this month.

Full article available in the current issue of Transport Times

David Fowler, Editor, Transport Times