Make climate the priority, says TPS

Planning

The Transport Planning Society is making climate change and creating “a sustainable, healthy future” the themes for its campaign leading up to this year’s transport planning day. 

Because of Covid-19, the campaign will be run online, from now until the autumn. It is likely to include blogs, podcasts and webinars showcasing successful transport planning projects and policy initiatives. 

The TPS will not run the People’s Award this year because of the virus.

To support this year’s themes, the TPS has set out six policy asks of Government, including “developing the case for national road user charging”. 

The other five are: delivering climate change actions that will reduce emissions; more closely integrating spatial and transport planning decision-making; significantly increasing the funding settlement for active travel; integrating public transport in the city regions; and putting social need at the heart of new technology deployment. 

The TPS still hopes to hold a parliamentary reception in October and Transport Planning Day on 16 November. If this is not possible, the events will be held virtually.

Stephen Bennett, chair of the Transport Planning Society, said: “We are all aware we need to move people and goods in a far cleaner and greener way to achieve a net zero future. 

“We need the UK Government to pick up the pace with supporting the integration of spatial planning and transport planning, and reducing the need to travel, with a clear focus on decarbonising the transport system, whilst improving accessibility.”