BETTER TRANSPORT NEEDS MORE LOCAL CONTROL

Councils need more local powers to deliver quality public transport, says the South East England Regional Assembly's Planning Committee.

Responding this week to the Government's Draft Local Transport Bill, the committee argues that the Bill must be strengthened to address councils' two key problems - long term funding and quality control. Councils need greater power and flexibility in managing bus services eg specifying services, fares and frequency. They should also be able to enter long term contracts with bus companies.

The committee supports the creation of Passenger Transport Authorities (PTA), which devolve decision-making to the local level but it doesn't want PTAs limited to existing council boundaries. Current proposals would prevent for example the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire from creating a PTA. The committee also wants the Assembly to be consulted on any proposals for a PTA in the South East and wants clarification on PTA funding.

Chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly's planning committee, Cllr Moira Gibson, said:

“To improve public transport in the South East Government must give councils more power over bus services and bigger long term budgets. Each transport authority must be able to tailor services to local needs but still ensure value for money.

“Improved bus services will also encourage more sustainable use of transport reducing carbon emissions, which is a key objective of the Assembly's South East Plan - a 20-year planning vision,” added Cllr Gibson.

Contacts

Steve Baker, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555234

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. For more information on the Draft Local Transport Bill see the Department for Transport website.
   
   
2. The South East has 19 Local Transport Authorities, which include all county councils and the unitaries.
   
   
3. The Assembly is a partnership of councils and communities in the South East region. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the region, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
   
   
4. The Assembly is made up of 112 members including elected councillors nominated by the region's local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.
   
   
5. The Assembly has six roles:
   1. Regional Planning:
      preparing and delivering the South East Plan
   2. Regional Housing:
      the Regional Housing Board decides housing investment priorities
   3. Regional Transport:
      the Regional Transport Board decides transport investment priorities
   4. Advocacy:
      pressing the South East's interests in London and Brussels
   5. Accountability:
      scrutinising SEEDA's plans and impact
   6. Alignment:
      co-ordinating regional policies and decisions.

Our vision is for a distinctive, outward-looking, accessible region of prosperous, sustainable communities, with a high quality of life and environment.

Last updated: 21 August 2007