Briefings and responses

The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill seeks to increase the access and availability of chargepoints for electric cars, while also giving the government powers to make it compulsory for chargepoints to be installed across the country at filling stations and enabling drivers of automated cars to be insured on UK roads.

Key summary points and briefings for local government on the Bus Services Bill.

Section 19 and 22 operators play an important role in the provision of transport for councils and are often the only means by which people can maintain an independent life, reducing the demands on other public services.

The joint Select Committee report into improving air quality is positive. The Government should consider the Committees’ warning that the support currently available to local authorities is inadequate.

It is vitally important that the nation’s local roads network enables commuters, businesses, residents and visitors to travel easily and freely within our local areas.

Current legislation for the licensing of taxi and private hire vehicles (PHVs) is inadequate and outdated.

The Government has made the future of transport and mobility a ‘grand challenge’ in its Industrial Strategy. Councils have an important role to play in this.

Local authorities take road safety very seriously, and work hard to keep local roads safe by maintaining and improving them. It is vitally important that commuters, businesses, residents and visitors can travel safely and easily within our local areas.

We recommend that the Government is more ambitious on funding for the rest of the country not covered by Mayoral Combined authorities. Long-term pipelines of funding, and a focus on high level outcomes, for example ‘half of journeys by active and public transport by 2030’ would allow local areas to develop in house capacity to plan and deliver projects. Government is moving in the right direction but must ensure all parts of the country benefit.

Local buses provide 4.7 billion passenger trips a year in England, which is around three times as many trips made by rail. Bus services are key to providing people with access to work, education and leisure time.