Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Lord Macdonald welcomes support from Commission for Integrated Transport
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date 29 September 2000
source Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
type Press release

note News Release 621

The Commission for Integrated Transport's first annual report gives a welcome endorsement of Government progress in delivering its integrated transport programme, Minister for Transport Lord Macdonald said today.

The report published today says that the Government's 10 Year Plan "provides the strategy and investment to deliver an integrated transport system across the UK". It strongly supports the Government's approach of "focussing the lion's share on public transport, local transport and maintaining the road and rail networks."

Lord Macdonald said:

"I very much welcome publication of CfIT's first Annual Report on its work and that of the Motorists' Forum. CfIT has provided useful input this year into the development of transport policy - and the preparation of our 10 Year Plan.

"They acknowledge that we now have the building blocks in place to deliver our integrated transport strategy. I look forward to CfIT's continuing contribution to the transport debate."

Notes to editors
David Begg, Chairman of the independent but Government-appointed Commission for Integrated Transport, says in his introduction to the report published today:

"With the recent publication of the 10 Year Plan, I am confident that we are on the threshold of a new golden age for public transport and that transport systems will become far more effective at meeting people's needs sustainably in the future."
The Government has introduced the most wide-ranging Transport Bill for a generation to tackle congestion, improve rail and bus services and strengthen air safety.

Key details of the Government's 10 Year Plan for Transport, Transport 2010 are as follows:

a significant increase in spending in real terms compared with previous ten years
total public spending and private investment will be £180bn.
capital investment (public and private) will be £121bn. Almost 75% real increase on previous ten years
The £180bn is made up of:

£60bn for rail
£59bn for local transport

£25bn for London
£21bn for strategic roads
£15bn for future projects and other transport areas
Total roads spending (including local roads and London roads): £59bn

The £180bn will buy:

reduction in road congestion below current levels
100 new by-passes
widening of 360 miles of strategic roads
elimination of local road maintenance backlog
50% increase in rail use (measured by passenger kilometres)
80% increase in rail freight
modernisation and upgrading of East Coast, West Coast and other Main Lines
improved services on the London Underground and London buses
up to 25 new tram lines in major cities and conurbations
10% increase in bus passenger journeys
better rural transport
a safe and secure transport system

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Railhub Archive ::: 2000-09-29 DET-001