Our formula for growing demand for public transport

Following last month’s Tory Party conference, shadow minister Stephen Hammond explains his party’s transport policies

stephen Hammond is the Conservative MP for Wimbledon. He has been shadow minister for transport since December 2005.

stephen Hammond is the Conservative MP for Wimbledon. He has been shadow minister for transport since December 2005.

Brighton & Hove’s bus network shows what partnership can achieve

Brighton & Hove’s bus network shows what partnership can achieve

At the Conservative Party conference in Manchester last week, I was impressed to discover that, despite the economic downturn, train passenger numbers continue to grow in the North West at an extraordinary rate. In the year up until July, the route from Liverpool into Manchester Victoria achieved 17.1% growth.

I accept that this is not the case everywhere, but the long-term trend is clearly this: demand for public transport will continue to grow.

We should not be seeking to contain this...