Three buses waiting in a road, with a cyclist in the other lane.

People want affordable, accessible public transport. Bus reform is a good place to start.

Domestic transport accounts for almost a third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. In a Net Zero Britain, how will we get around? This Government has put this question back in the spotlight, with changes to bus policy, and the budget’s money for walking and cycling infrastructure and a continued freeze in fuel duty.

When the Everyone’s Environment team spoke to people about how environmental policy could improve their lives, better public transport was near the top of their priorities. All of the groups that we spoke to in our research said that accessible, affordable public transport was a priority. For some people, it’s more challenging to access public transport, which is why we talk about targeted support for specific groups.

We are focused on how environmental changes will affect people’s lives. It’s not helpful to think of environmental policy as an abstract issue, especially when it touches on so many issues that are important to how we live our lives. Our homes, how we get around, and the places we live can all be improved with good environmental policies.

Sustainable transport policy needs more of this joined-up thinking. The goal should be to help people live healthy lives in good homes located in strong communities with public transport options.

But recent research showing how new housing is actually increasing our dependence on cars underlines the need for more joined-up thinking on this issue. It’s tempting to think that simply replacing existing cars with electric cars will be enough. But they aren’t accessible for everyone.

What we need is better planning, and building on recent measures to increase bus use. Not a reliance on electric cars as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution.

Bus reform is an important part of the answer

Instead of creating a reliance on cars, we should be thinking about two things: housing planning and public transport. Fortunately, both have been high on the agenda for the new Government.

The Government recently announced the new funding settlement for bus services in England. Under the old system, local areas had to bid for funding. This competitive process meant that, while some areas got massive amounts of investment, others got none. The end to competitive bidding for bus funding means that some areas that have been neglected are getting the investment that they need. Rural areas and small towns are particularly benefiting from this.

This does mean that some places will get less money. For example, Norfolk got almost £50m in 2022, and will now get £15m. However, these places largely spent the money on capital investment, including upgrading or electrifying their buses. These places also didn’t have to bid for this new funding, so many will welcome the extra cash. On top of this, nobody knows if or how the Spending Review in Spring will top up this funding.

All of this comes shortly after it was announced that the cap on bus fares would be rising from £2 to £3. After that announcement, former Transport Secretary Louise Haugh suggested that the government was considering abolishing the cap after its current expiration date in 2025. This will no doubt trigger outcry in the media, and from some campaign groups.

The fare cap has prevented costs spiralling in some places, which is undoubtedly good. It is also good that the new Labour Government stepped in to prevent the cap suddenly ending at the end of this year. That doesn’t mean that it is the best way to keep costs down for those that need support.

Combining improved, needs-based funding for bus services with targeted discounts can ensure that there are sustainably funded bus services that don’t need to hike up prices to keep services going, and that those who need it get extra support towards the cost of travel.

We already do this for pensioners and for Disabled people, although it is limited to certain times of day. Any future concessions shouldn’t be time limited, and should be available to people on low incomes. If we can make buses work properly, then people will not be forced to rely on cars.

If this new funding approach means that bus fares stay low, and there are targeted discounts for people that need them, then it is a win-win. We need bus fares to be kept low enough to encourage people to use public transport. We also need to make sure that, when fares are too high for specific groups, they get the extra help they need to be able to use public transport.

New homes are increasingly reliant on car ownership

Research from the New Economics Foundation last month found that car dependency of new homes has increased in every region of England outside of London over the last 15 years. It’s not new for housing developments to be poorly connected to local infrastructure, but given the public consensus on the importance of tackling climate change, it’s surprising to see that this has actually been getting worse.

A big reason for this was that homes are being built in places with poor public transport links. Lots of new homes are in rural areas, but even new homes in towns and cities are in the worst-connected neighbourhoods. This makes it harder for people to travel for work, supermarkets, schools, and other services. Ultimately, it means that people have to rely on cars.

As we see massive efforts to reduce emissions in other areas of our lives, it is baffling to see that new homes are forcing people to rely on cars. Instead, we need to be creating neighbourhoods that people can travel around sustainably. The £100m for walking and cycling infrastructure announced in the Budget is a step in the right direction, but isn’t the answer for everyone.

Right now, electric cars aren’t an option for everyone

For some people, the carbon emissions of car reliance can be tackled by switching to an electric car. It sounds appealing – if we have clean, renewable electricity, why shouldn’t we use it to power cars? If that happens, is needing to use a car a problem?

When this NEF report came out, we also saw electric vehicle manufacturers call for renewed subsidies for people to buy electric cars, and flexibility on the requirements for a rising percentage of individual manufacturers’ total annual sales to be zero emissions vehicles each year (the “ZEV mandate”). Despite this, registrations of new electric cars hit an all-time high this November, making up over a quarter of new cars.

This makes it clear that, for some people, electric cars can be a solution, and over time they will become more common. As we move towards cleaner electricity, they are a good option for those who can afford them. For many people buying homes in new developments, an electric car is an option. But this fails to account for the homes that are rented out, or people on lower-incomes in affordable or social housing who may not be able to afford them. We need an approach to sustainable transport that takes in the full range of options, but having an electric car shouldn’t be an expectation.

At the moment, electric cars are not affordable for lots of people. As time goes on and the technology becomes cheaper, this will probably change, but in the meantime, we need to help people make the transition. This means subsiding the cost of electric cars.

If we want more people to make the switch, these subsidies should be targeted, and used to broaden the appeal of, and access to, electric cars. This might mean specific subsidies for people on lower incomes, subsidies for second hand electric cars, or other measures that make electric cars a better choice than fossil fuel alternatives for more people.

Electric cars have lots of benefits over cars that use fossil fuels, especially as we continue to shift towards cleaner electricity production, but there are other environmental issues. The carbon emissions of building the car, the damage to nature from mining materials for the batteries, and the air pollution from wearing down their tyres. On top of this, many people can’t afford to own and run a car, regardless of the fuel it uses.

If we want more people to travel sustainably then affordable, accessible, and environmentally friendly public transport is key.

Conclusion

We know that people want reliable, accessible public transport. Investment in this should be a priority for this Government. If the number one priority is growth, enabling people to travel easily between their homes, their work, and local services is an important piece of the puzzle.

Instead of expecting people to rely on expensive electric cars, we need properly funded bus services that are regular, reliable, and affordable. Better still, new homes should have quick and easy access to services, and the infrastructure to enable active travel.

Public transport and active travel improves air quality, makes people healthier, saves people money, and reduces congestion on roads. This isn’t just about reducing emissions. This is about improving people’s lives.

Bringing together transport and planning policy is essential if we want to build homes that enable, not undermine, our transition to net zero.

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