Sustainable transport partners: joint statement on Covid-19 recovery

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As lock-down restrictions begin to be eased, and with many people starting to travel again, CTA has joined an alliance of charities and NGOs in highlighting the importance of public, community and shared transport, combined with walking and cycling, to our communities’ recovery, their health, wellbeing and the environment.

At CTA, we’re going to be sharing our specific plans for how to support the community transport sector as it starts to emerge from lock-down, and we felt that it was also important to add our voice to this joint statement. As our sector starts to adapt to what will be asked of it in the coming weeks and months, being part of a partnership of like-minded organisations, calling for support and investment in transport, is a key part of making sure community transport’s voice is heard.

Sustainable transport partners: joint statement on Covid-19 recovery

“As we look to the future, beyond Covid-19, we find ourselves at a critical juncture, where we have a chance to reimagine our transport priorities, with people’s health and wellbeing, communities, and our environment at the forefront. Our organisations know that transport can play a fundamental role in a green and just recovery, and we want to work with governments and authorities, partners and communities, to ensure this is the path we take from here.

Covid-19 has turned our communities upside down, and brought much suffering. However, many people have also seen glimpses of healthier, greener, more peaceful and friendly streets, cities, towns and villages: how things can be if we reduce the dominance of the private car.

As lockdown restrictions start to be eased, with many people starting to move around again, we want to ensure that our communities, and their vital sustainable transport networks, not only recover, but move towards a more sustainable, healthy, inclusive future.

We recognise that individuals, families and communities across Britain depend on public, community and shared transport, alongside walking and cycling, for their health, wellbeing and prosperity. We must not forget that a third of people – including many young people, and many marginalised and vulnerable people – don’t have personal access to a car. We must ensure they don’t get left behind.

Buses, trains, minibuses, trams, shared mobility schemes, and walking and cycling paths and facilities have continued to be crucial through the pandemic, for moving keyworkers and goods, and keeping us well and connected. While physical distancing is posing challenges now for transport operators, moving forward, public, community and shared transport, combined with active travel, will be doubly important. It is this sustainable, inclusive transport network that will enable us to reduce private car use and decarbonise transport, to tackle the increasingly urgent climate emergency, and to create stronger, healthier, happier communities.

Public, community and shared transport, alongside and connected with walking and cycling, must be safeguarded, celebrated and developed, to ensure everyone can access sustainable mobility in the future – for the sake of health and wellbeing, community cohesion and resilience, our climate and sustainable economic development. This is crucial to creating the future we all want, and that our children deserve.

That’s why we are working together, across our organisations, to support and empower communities, and advise policy- and decision-makers, on Covid-19 recovery, to pave the way for unlocking the enormous benefits of sustainable and inclusive transport for all.

We are asking local, regional, devolved and national governments, and our partners within transport and within communities, to work with us, to make this a reality. We are at a critical point: now is the time to ensure we have our transport priorities right, based on health and wellbeing, our communities and environment, and ensure we take the sustainable and inclusive path forward.”

Bus Users

Campaign for Better Transport

Community Rail Network

Community Transport Association

Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK)

Greener Journeys

Living Streets

Sustrans

You can download a copy of the statement here