Minister unveils plans for better rural transport
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has outlined his ambitions for better transport for rural communities.
These include reduced speed limits in rural areas, significantly better public transport options for rural communities, including £600m for the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, and the reduction of “ugly” road signs.
Speaking at a conference in London, hosted by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), Mr McLoughlin said: “Rural traffic is rising fast. And that’s affecting the tranquility of the countryside.
“So, while I want people to be free to drive, I also want to protect what they come to the countryside to enjoy. That means ideas like the ‘quiet lanes’ we have in Derbyshire and it means making sure there are good alternatives to driving too.
“A lot of rural people and visitors don’t have access to a car, or don’t want to drive. So we have got to help rural bus services and support alternatives like community transport.”
In his speech, Mr McLoughlin also said he wanted to “get cracking” on the controversial proposed High Speed Rail (HS2) link between London and Birmingham, insisting it was the “right way to free up space” on the rest of the rail network in cities and across the countryside.
The CPRE said it was pleased with many of the ambitions Mr McLoughlin outlined, and agreed that HS2 could result in “far less damaging effects on the landscape”.
However, the CPRE expressed concern that current proposals for a major road building programme in England were at odds with Mr McLoughlin’s desire for “fewer big, new roads through the countryside and less urban sprawl”.
Shaun Spiers, CPRE chief executive, said: “Patrick McLoughlin spoke up for rural roads and motorists. We need better and safer roads, but we do not need the almost 800 miles of new roads now being considered by local and central government.
“New roads have a severe effect on the beauty and tranquillity of the countryside and we will fight hard to resist any new road building programme, but, most importantly, we want to work with the secretary of state to come up with innovative and sustainable solutions for the transport needs of rural England.”