Campaign for Better Transport is calling for an International Rail Strategy to help increase cross border rail travel and reduce emissions from aviation, on the occasion of the first ever UN World Sustainable Transport Day, which will take place on 26 November.
The transport charity is calling on the UK Government to create an International Rail Strategy to expand and speed up international rail links to replace short haul flights. Campaign for Better Transport wants to see rail tickets available for through journeys from UK railway stations to mainland Europe and an increase in Rail & Sail tickets which combine train and ferry travel.
Paul Tuohy, from transport charity Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Sustainable transport is vitally important to local communities, but it is also a global issue responsible for a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions are hastening climate change, harming people, habitats and species in every part of the globe.
“Governments must urgently work to reduce emissions by increasing investment in sustainable transport and encouraging its use. Improving rail links between the UK and Europe is one way the UK Government can help tackle climate change by giving people more choice about how they travel.”
In recognition of the importance of sustainable transport in addressing the climate emergency, the United Nations has declared 26 November ‘World Sustainable Transport Day’. To mark this global day of sustainable transport action, Campaign for Better Transport is calling on the UK Government to:
• Create an International Rail Strategy
• Prioritise investment in public and shared transport, walking and cycling, over building new roads
• Make sustainable transport the affordable choice for travellers.
Figures show that global public transport networks need to be built at six times the current rate to avoid the worst impact of climate breakdown. Yet recent UK Government policies – cutting domestic aviation taxes, diverting funding from the High Speed 2 rail project to road building and suggesting that drivers should take precedence over other transport users – will not only fail to achieve this, they also fail to match public opinion which overwhelmingly supports more investment in public transport networks.
Research commissioned by Campaign for Better Transport revealed almost universal support for public transport investment among the public, whether they are primarily drivers or use public transport:
• 90 per cent of drivers and 91 per cent of public transport passengers want to see a bigger rail network
• 97 per cent of drivers and 98 per cent of public transport passengers want cheaper rail fares
• 94 per cent of drivers and 95 per cent of public transport passengers want more and improved bus routes.
Overall, three out of four drivers would like to have more options to get around than relying on driving, and eight out of ten would use public transport more if it was better.
Mr Tuohy added: “Our survey shows that cutting investment in public transport is not just bad for the planet, it is out of step with public opinion. The vast majority of people want to see more investment in our public transport network, not less, that’s why this World Sustainable Transport Day we are calling on the UK Government to help reduce transport’s negative impact on the planet and give more people the ability to travel sustainably.”
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