Manifestos and Transport
Transport for All
Over the past couple of weeks, Transport for All...
Over the past couple of weeks, Transport for All has been looking closely at what the 2010 election manifestos have been saying about transport.
Only the Green Party mention accessible transport specifically and only Labour and The Green Party mention concessionary fares, but there are plenty of other transport pledges to think about.
Here is a brief look at some key topics, and what the parties are promising if they are successful on May 6th;
ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORT
Green: Will provide affordable, cheaper local transport that is accessible to those with disabilities by investing in buses and subsidising some routes.
CONCESSIONARY FARES
Labour: Will continue to provide help to pensioners with concessionary public transport fares
Green: Support free local transport for pensioners.
BUSES
Conservative: Encourage partnerships between bus operators and councils;
LibDem: Give councils greater powers to regulate bus services according
to community needs so that local people get a real say over routes
and fares.
CROSS RAIL
Labour: Will complete the new east-west Crossrail line in London adding ten per cent to London transport capacity.
Conservative: Support Crossrail
COST
Labour: Renewed pledge not to extend VAT to public transport fares.
Will encourage more people to switch to rail with an enforceable right to the cheapest fare
Libdem: Will invest in public transport and cut rail fares
Greens: Simplify fares for all public transport, with discounted fares for off-peak journeys and for those with low incomes.
Would spend £1.5 billion subsidising existing public transport to make fares up to 10% cheaper
CYCLING & PEDESTRIANS
LibDem: Include the promotion of safer cycling and pedestrian routes in all local transport plans.
Green: Would divert money currently being wasted on huge road projects and put more of the UK’s transport budget into public transport, and especially into local schemes for walking, cycling and bus travel.
TRAINS
Labour: Will press ahead with a major investment programme in existing rail services, hugely improving commuter services into and through London.
Conservative: Reform railways to provide a better focus on tackling problems that matter most to passengers, like overcrowding;
LibDem: Cut rail fares, changing the contracts with Train Operating Companies so that regulated fares fall behind inflation by 1 per cent each year.
Make Network Rail refund a third of your ticket price if you have to take a rail replacement bus service.
MOTORING
Labour: Promote the rapid take-up of electric and low-carbon cars, we will ensure there are 100,000 electric vehicle charging points by the end of the next Parliament.
Conservative: Facilitate the switch to green cars by creating a national car recharging network.
LibDem: Work through the EU for a zero emissions target for all new cars by
2040 and extend targets to other vehicles.
Green: Abolish Car Tax and replace it with a purchase tax on new cars that reflects their emissions
Reduce speed limits (e.g. to 20mph in built-up areas, including villages).
HEATHROW EXPANSION
Labour : Support a third runway at Heathrow, subject to strict conditions on environmental impact and flight numbers, but will not allow additional runways to proceed at any other airport in the next Parliament.
Conservative: Will stop the third runway at Heathrow
LibDem: Will cancel plans for the third runway at Heathrow and any expansion
of other airports in the South East.
Green: Stop airport expansion and shift shorter air journeys to the railways (45% of all air trips in the EU are under 500Km)
Read the Manifesto’s in full:
Conservatives Manifesto 2010
Labour Manifesto 2010
Liberal Democrats Manifesto 2010
The Green Party Election Manifesto 2010
