Background

The Local Transport Act 2008

The publication of the Local Transport Act heralded some of the most significant changes to PTAs/PTEs since they were established under the 1968 Transport Act. Most significantly PTAs were renamed Integrated Transport Authorities, symbolising a visionfor the former PTAs to take on a wider transport remit including full responsibility for city region-wide Transport Plans and additional influence over bus service contracts and transport planning. The Bill also allows for the possibility of new PTEs being created, and for the areas of existing ones to be altered.  However a year on from the introduction of the Act, the future role of the ITAs is still evolving and will continue to be the subject of discussion and debate as further waves of reform come into affect during 2009. The Act will also help bring all modes of transport together, by strengthening the role of the existing Passenger Transport Authorities - to be renamed Integrated Transport Authorities (ITAs) - and by enabling new ITAs to be established. These will help major urban areas outside London to improve coordination of the road network and public transport.

Released in November 2008, ‘Delivering a Sustainable Transport System’ outlined the government’s five goals for transport, focusing on the challenge of delivering strong economic growth while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as outlining the key components of our national infrastructure. The report explored the difficulties of planning over the long term in the context of uncertain future demand and described investment to tackle congestion and crowding on our transport networks. In the associated ‘Draft Guidance to the Regions’, DfT committed to sharing information with regions that may help them consider their transport priorities.

‘Delivering a Sustainable Transport System: City and Regional Networks Data Book’, published in March 2009, fulfilled that commitment by presenting and referring to national datasets and forecasts which relate to the Government's transport goals and challenges. The purpose of this document is to allow parties in each region to begin a dialogue with each other and with the DfT on where transport pressures and related problems are likely to be greatest, to inform the process of setting regional transport priorities in the context of DaSTS.

The five broad goals of transport, set out in DaSTS are:

• To support national economic competitiveness and growth, by delivering reliable and efficient transport networks;

• To reduce transport’s emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, with the desired outcome of tackling climate change;

• To contrpromoting travel modes that are beneficial to health;ibute to better safety security and health and longer life-expectancy by reducing the risk of    death, injury or illness arising from transport and by 

• To promote greater equality of opportunity for all citizens, with the desired outcome of achieving a fairer society;

• To improve quality of life for transport users and non-transport users, and to promote a healthy natural environment

In May it was announced that large urban areas across England had the chance to bid to become the country’s first Sustainable Travel City, with up to £29 million over the next three years invested to encourage greener travel choices. The successful city will introduce innovative schemes including work or school travel planning, cycle training, online journey planning, cycling/pedestrian routes and 20mph zones. Smaller local authorities will also be able to apply for up to £3 million of funding to help them to develop their own green travel initiatives.

The DfT published Draft Guidance to Regions on Delivering a Sustainable Transport  System alongside DaSTS to describe the work that regions will be invited to undertake to influence the Government's decisions on transport investment from 2014 onwards. Much responsibility for planning and delivering transport is devolved to regions. They need to reach views on options and priorities, taking into account their wider work on regional strategies and the interface with decisions on economic development and land use. Regions will lead the work on the city and regional network, working closely with the DfT as it develops options for national and international networks. The city and regional network is defined in DaSTS: Consultation on planning from 2014  and beyond. The city and regional network consists of the highways and rail networks, other than those routes defined as strategic national corridors, and rail service groups, other than those identified as providing strategic connectivity.

The Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) was created in the July 2004 White Paper ‘The Future of Transport’, enabling local authorities to bid for funding for transport improvement packages to reduce congestion in their regions.

The fund has two strands: Congestion TIF where local authorities bid for funds for their own schemes; and Productivity TIF where the DfT identifies schemes of national importance. The fund is worth around £9.5bn over seven years, of which about £1.4bn, or £200m a year, will be available for Congestion TIF. TIF was created to support “the costs of smarter, innovative local transport packages that combine demand management measures, such as road pricing, with measures to encourage modal shift, and better bus services; local mechanisms to raise new funding for transport schemes; and regional, inter-regional and local schemes that are beneficial to national productivity.”

Initial information on TIF was set out in the paper "Transport Innovation Fund" in July 2005. In 2005 it was announced that of the 21 groups bidding for pump priming funding under TIF, seven were successful. In July 2005, it was announced that of the 21 groups bidding for pump priming funding, seven had been successful.