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What difference will  integrated transport strategy make?

What difference will integrated transport strategy make?

‘Mini Switzerland’ project to get £6m for Peak District trial In Better Connected, the Government announced it would provide £6m funding to... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

DfT Mass Transit Taskforce structure and mission details still awaited
Peter Stonham

Few details have yet been given about the Mass Transit Taskforce announced as being established in the ‘Better Connected’ policy paper. This said “The Taskforce will assess the wider economic, spatial and social benefits of integrated mass transit systems, and examine the funding,... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Greater focus on Coach role signalled in Better Connected strategy
Peter Stonham

A commitment to great attention on coaches in transport policy at both a strategic and operational level has been welcomed. The integration strategy notes how coaches “can be particularly overlooked in transport planning yet provide essential links between many towns, cities, airports and... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

BERTIE model commended as agent-based behaviour simulation tool
Peter Stonham

Transport East’s innovative agent-based travel behaviour model has been flagged for wider use in the government’s Better Connected strategy. BERTIE (BEhaviouR & Transport: Impact & Equity), is featured as a case study in the strategy in relation to better use of data and digital... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Better Connected strategy overlooks key issues and takes ‘rose-tinted’ view

The fact that the Better Connected paper is mainly a round-up of existing Government policies and aspirations that it hopes to achieve has meant that most of the responses to it are broadly uncritical. Amongst those raising concerns that it takes a “rose-tinted” view of too many issues,... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Strategy must properly support reliable movement of people and goods, says CILT
Derniz Huseyin

Freight must be fully embedded within the transport system and not be treated as a separate or secondary consideration, states Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (CILT(UK)). It argues that freight is fundamental to how the economy functions and how places operate. “It... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News
Wide support for Integrated transport policy but concerns voiced about policy ‘gaps'

Wide support for Integrated transport policy but concerns voiced about policy ‘gaps'
Deniz Huseyin

The Government’s Better Connected integrated transport strategy, published... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

LTP guidance leaves key role for new Transport Delivery Plans
Peter Stonham

The long-awaited new Local Transport Plan (LTP) guidance just published by the DfT has highlighted how the recently-introduced requirement for Local Transport Authorities to produce an annual Local Transport Delivery Plan, will now function alongside the LTP process.  While the LTP is still... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

DfT presses on with appointing GBR chair despite DFTO’s parallel mission

The Department for Transport has made it clear it will press on with appointing a first chair for Great British Railways despite the establishment of the new organisation still being some 18 months away, and many GBR preparation tasks having just been given to the Chair of the existing company DfT... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

£3m government funding for six Combined Authorities to set up bus franchising

The Government is giving six mayoral combined authorities in England a further £500,000 of government funding each to help them introduce bus franchising Franchising is now the policy being implemented by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Liverpool City Region, South Yorkshire, the West... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

DfT sets out expectations for enhanced bus partnership arrangements

New guidance designed to support and improve bus enhanced partnerships (EPs) in England has been released by the DfT.  The document follows the publication of a review of EPs in January, which revealed that some partnerships are not currently  delivering. In these cases, “support is... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

DfT re-states vision for boosting bus use
Deniz Huseyin

The DfT has published a policy paper setting out its “vision” for bus services in England. According to the document, the “best way to make the local bus service successful is for it to have a strong revenue base of passengers”. This requires  bus services to be... continue

17 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Rise in Stansted drop-off charges ‘will discourage kiss and fly’ journeys
Deniz Huseyin

The drop-off charge at Stansted Airport has increased, rising from £7 to £10 for stops of up to 15 minutes. The cost for stays of between 15 and 30 minutes has also increased by £3 to £28. A Stansted spokesperson said the changes were “designed to tackle ‘kiss... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Bristol Airport loses case against Welsh Government over £205m Cardiff Airport subsidy
Deniz Huseyin

Bristol Airport has lost its legal challenge over the fairness of a £205m subsidy package awarded to Cardiff Airport by the Welsh Government. The Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled that the Welsh Government had satisfied the requirements of the Subsidy Control Act 2022 in awarding the grant to... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Mayors’ responsibility for health could open up new links for transport
Peter Stonham

Pilot moves to shift responsibility for public health to regional mayors could offer the chance to integrate transport and health plans and make better use resources. New Health Devolution two-year trials have been announced by the government for Greater Manchester (Andy Burnham) and South... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Act now on air pollution, coalition tells freight firms
Deniz Huseyin

A coalition of global investors, investment consultants and pension funds has issued a public statement demanding that freight and logistics firms take urgent action to address air pollution. The sector’s limited progress to date is translating into “escalating material health and... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Leeds Tram plan was working to ‘political milestones’
Peter Stonham

Mayor Tracy Brabin’s attempts to start construction on a Leeds tram network before her next re-election campaign in West Yorkshire were blocked after the confidential NISTA Government review concluded this deadline carried a high risk of wasted taxpayers’ money, the politicshome website... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Keolis and Amey partner up again to operate Dublin light rail

Keolis and Amey have joined forces to win another light rail contract, this time for operation and maintenance of the Luas system in Dublin. The contract, valued at approximately €1.3bn, starts on 1 September and has a core term of seven years, with the option to extend for up to six years.... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Capital’s road layouts pose challenge for AV trials, report warns
Deniz Huseyin

The London Assembly has published an analysis of automation ahead of expected trials in the capital of self-driving vehicles without a safety driver this spring. Report author Philip Lewis refers to a study by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which said that one of the biggest challenges an... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Automated passenger service permit guidelines released
Deniz Huseyin

Guidance on new permits designed to enable small-scale trials of self-driving passenger transport services has been issued by the DfT. This is intended to help local authorities and transport bodies understand the automated passenger services (APS) permitting scheme, established by Part 5 of the... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Consortium wins funding to develop self-driving buses

A consortium that includes Wrightbus, Queen’s University Belfast and Loughborough University has been awarded a £250,000 Government grant to develop self-driving buses. Delivered by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the programme aims to grow the UK’s connected and... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Preston ‘bus gate’ made £1.5m fines in year for council

A bus gate in Preston generated £1.54m in fines last year, the highest amount in the UK, according to research carried out by The Times. Lancashire County Council’s bus gate on Corporation Street operates 24-hours-a-day on a 60m stretch of road close to Preston’s university... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Number of Blue Badges in England continues to rise
Deniz Huseyin

There was a significant increase in the number of Blue Badges held in England compared with the previous year, new data from the DfT shows. In the year ending March 2025, the total number of Blue Badges was 3.07 million, an 8% increase (228,000 badges) compared with March 2024. Approximately 5.2%... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

Scotland not on course to meet any of its main road safety targets, data reveals
Rhodri Clark

Transport Scotland has released data showing that Scotland is not on course to meet any of its main targets for improvements in road safety. In 2021, the Scottish Government published a new Road Safety Framework running until 2030. Alongside a wider suite of indicators, the framework featured four... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

New street works code of practice released

An amended Code of practice for the co-ordination of street and road works has been released by the DfT. This code, which came into effect on 10 April, provides practical guidance on the responsibilities of authorities and undertakers under the New Roads and Street Works Act (1991) (NRSWA). The... continue

16 Apr 2026Local Transport Today News

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