The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) has released a manifesto calling for a series of bold policy changes based on a 'vision-led' approach.
New statutory requirements on resilience, the reinstatement of road safety targets and calls to explore road user charging systems are all part of the CIHT's calls to any future government.
With a general election due this year, A transport network fit for all our futures outlines policies focused on six strategic objectives:
- Our transport networks are resilient
- The transport sector decarbonises in line with legally binding obligations
- Everyone has the opportunity to travel sustainably
- Everyone has the opportunity to travel safely and feel safe
- There is a skilled workforce with the capacity and capability to deliver
- Funding is reprioritised to support timely and effective delivery
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CIHT chief executive Sue Percy CBE (pictured) said: 'A new clear and vision-led approach is needed from politicians and local and national governments.
'Good transport provides access to employment, goods, services and opportunities. How society invests in and uses the transport network also impacts on climate change and public health.”
'CIHT’s new manifesto shows how having effective highways and transportation networks and services can stimulate the UK economy, increase employment opportunities, improve air quality, deliver on net zero, improve the health of society, and make transport more accessible for all, alongside fixing the UK’s pothole crisis and strengthening other infrastructure.'
Key Manifesto action points:
1) Ensuring our transport networks are resilient
CIHT calls for:
· Transport resilience assessments to be made a statutory requirement for all transport asset owners and for a dedicated fund to be established to support projects to mitigate vulnerable areas.
· Highway and transport authorities and other stakeholders should put Green and Blue Infrastructure at the heart of local policy and make it a core component of their activity.
· Future governments to support the necessary legislative and physical environment changes to enable trialling and use of innovations across the strategic and local highways and transport networks.
2) Ensure the transport sector decarbonises in line with legally binding obligations
CIHT calls for decision-makers to:
· Demonstrate a clear and credible pathway to net zero take action to address both transport supply and travel demand.
· Use their future purchasing power to make carbon reduction a requirement.
· Show political leadership to provide good governance of the types, quality and availability of data captured, and machine learning and AI developments.
3) Ensure everyone can travel sustainably
CIHT calls for the party manifestos to:
· Commit to making an appropriate place-based sustainable transport hierarchy a reality.
· Advocate for real change in the planning system to enshrine the principles of integrated land use and transport planning with real choices and appropriate alternatives to private car use.
· Make our streets, towns and neighbourhoods accessible to all and address transport-related social exclusion.
4) Ensure everyone can travel safely and feel safe
CIHT calls for future governments to:
· Reintroduce national and local road safety targets and ensure local authorities have the funds to share and implement best practice in responding to those targets.
· Demonstrate leadership in road safety by showing what 'right speeds in the right places' means in practice with clearer guidance on speed limit setting for local authorities.
· Recognise the highway network as a place of employment and work, and support more public awareness of the importance of road worker safety.
5) Ensuring there is a skilled workforce with the capacity and capability to deliver
CIHT calls for future governments to:
· Work with bodies like CIHT to develop and support a clear plan for appropriate national transport skills strategies.
· Work with the transport sector to invest in a broader range of professionals who are aware of the complex societal, environmental and economic challenges we face.
· Mandate that government contracts should require appropriately qualified professionals as part of the team.
6) Ensure funding is reprioritised to support timely and effective delivery
CIHT calls for future governments to:
· Examine alternative funding sources, new revenue streams, taxation and incentives, including filling the potential gap in road tax income caused by the transition to electric vehicles.
· Investigate mobility pricing such as a pay-per-mile scheme to help reduce congestion and meet environmental targets.
· Commit to a local roads investment strategy and provide clear, long-term aims on how we will use the transport network and support this with long-term transport investments (at least 10–20 years).
