Policy and the Pound: Supporting the Community Transport Sector

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In our latest blog we take a look at the upcoming Spring Budget and discusses the policies that  could strengthen the sector, and support inclusive and accessible transport throughout the UK

In a recent blog from our Chief Executive Bill Freeman, you will have seen how we strive to make mobility and accessibility a priority in all the work we do.  One of the ways we put this value into action is through working with key policy makers to ensure community transport is on the agenda.  The CTA enjoys a positive relationship with the transport departments across the four nations, and wherever appropriate we seek to make the case for the sector at the highest levels of Government.

On 8^th March Chancellor Philip Hammond will be announcing his Spring Budget.  As part of this process the Treasury invited organisations to make representations on the fiscal interventions they believe could boost the UK economy.  You can find the CTA’s submission at the end of this blog.

Although our response looks particularly at community transport, we have used our insights from our members and their expertise in working with people excluded from the mainstream transport network to look at some of the broader opportunities for transport investment.

We champion accessible and inclusive transport and believe that future investment should be targeted to enable a greater number of people to access and be confident to use the travel network. In particular, we have looked where a modest amount of investment can bring about increased opportunities for some of the UK’s most isolated residents.

Our suggestions are underpinned by three key principles:

• Spending decisions should increase access to the travel network.
• Spending should support innovative transport projects that involve local communities in their design.
• Communal transport spend should be reoriented toward bus services.

In the submission we have highlighted the case for community transport operators who could be supported with resource for new vehicles, how we can improve rural connectivity, and the importance of maintaining current arrangements for BSOG and Fuel Duty.

Our submission will not only help raise the profile of the sector, but help start a conversation in your own organisation, and in your own community, about the support the sector needs to grow and prosper.

You can read the submission in full here.

If you have any comments or would like to discuss the proposals further you can email me at, James@ctauk.org.  In the meantime, make sure you are subscribed to our blog, and following us on Twitter @CTAUK1