The Government should provide incentives for councils to develop integrated transport authorities (ITAs) and other sub-regional arrangements, according to a local government think-tank.
The New Local Government Network found that local authorities lacked incentives or rewards to integrate their transport functions in a way the Government had encouraged under the Local Transport Act.
In its new report, On the right track: New models for integrated transport, it argues that the ‘degree of pain’ involved in organisational reform is neither recognised nor rewarded by the Government.
It recommends allowing ITAs to vary the levy that applies across each member authority, given that not all areas within an ITA benefit or participate equally.
‘The current “full-rate” levy is a deterrent to out-lying authorities to join in.’ The existing Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) finance of more than £1bn should also be used to incentivise and reward new sub-regional approaches to integrated transport, without any requirement to introduce congestion charging.
The report calls for amendments to the Local Transport Act to enable local authorities to establish ITAs which do not cover an entire administrative area, because whole authority participation in sub-regional arrangements ‘is not always practical’.
Such arrangements could be based on ward or parish boundaries and stem from a robust evidence base that reflects the economic footprint and travel patterns.
It also calls for sub-regional powers to hold rail franchises to account, including the right to trigger a review of their contract if train services fail to meet targets. And ‘de-trunking’ of the strategic network should occur when sub-regions can demonstrate that traffic flows are predominantly local in nature.
On quality contracts, the Government should provide some pump-priming money – possibly from TIF – to pay for bus infrastructure for any areas ready to take on the risk of associated legal challenges.
‘Without new approaches, congestion is likely to stall economic recovery. We will struggle to meet climate change aspirations and passengers will be left unconvinced by what public transport has to offer,’ said report author, Nigel Keohane.
On the right track: New models for integrated transport
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