Reacting to the Climate Change Committee's annual assessment of
UK progress in reducing emissions, Silviya Barrett, Head of
Policy at Campaign for Better Transport, said:
"Government rhetoric, while welcome, is not enough: the report
makes clear the need for swift, bold action to decarbonise
transport.
"Public transport will be vital to this. The Government should
hold its nerve, continuing to support public transport as we
emerge from the pandemic to avoid devastating cuts. Messaging
will be vital to encourage people back on board, but price pays a
crucial role too: the increasing price advantage of driving over
taking the bus or train is a scandal and must be reversed."
"We welcome the recommendation that road building which will lead
to increases in carbon emissions should not go ahead. But overall
traffic reduction will also be needed. If we are to meet Net Zero
targets we can vacillate no longer: the Government must publish
its Transport Decarbonisation Plan and put it into action as a
matter of urgency."
On transport taxation, Silviya Barrett said:
"Vehicle taxation is a key tool of accelerating the transition to
zero emission vehicles in a fair way and adjusting the pricing
signals towards public transport. The Treasury should look to
replace fuel duty and Vehicle Excise Duty with a new road use
charge that varies by distance travelled, time of day, and how
polluting the vehicle is. The revenue raised by this charge
should be used to fund maintenance and renewals of the road
network, along with investment in public transport."
On the role of local authorities, Silviya Barrett said:
"We welcome the recognition that local authorities need the right
resources - including funding, guidance, and support with
capability building - to enable them to play a full role in
reducing emissions. More ambitious and binding local targets are
also needed to jolt some local authorities out of unhelpfully
car-centred thinking."
