People living in the West Midlands have the highest level of car dependency, while those in the North West have the best public transport options, new research has revealed.
A study published by the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) has rated each of the eight English regions on their travel options.
It awarded the North West a grade C+ saying ‘trams and trains are good options and traffic volumes encourage cycling’.
Cllr Keith Whitmore, chair of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority, welcomed the news the North West scored highest but said that there was a lot of work still to do to establish an affordable network of transport alternatives for all communities at all times.
Yorkshire and the Humber came in second with a D+ after the CBT deemed its city’s streets are good for walking but it warned that public transport fares are too high. The other regions trailed behind as bus services in the East of England were criticised, while those in the South West buses were labelled ‘expensive’ and difficult to use.
Rural car dependency, low-density developments and heavy traffic volumes were blamed for the West Midlands poor grade (E-). A spokeswoman for the West Midland’s transport authority, Centro, said partnership working in the region was used as a benchmark for best practice elsewhere. ‘This confirms that we are leading the way for the industry in providing a high quality, integrated public transport system that is fit for purpose and attracts people out of their cars.’
Stephen Joseph, executive director of the CBT, said: ‘We want local councils to take action in their upcoming local transport plans and spend on projects that will make it easy for people to get out of their cars, and we want the Government to set policies and funding so that car dependency is reduced.’ .
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