Letter to the Secretary of State for Transport to ensure that the upcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy delivers for people
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The Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP
Secretary of State for Transport
By Email
May 2025
Dear Heidi,
We are writing to you about the urgent need for the government to rethink its transport priorities and to ensure that the upcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy delivers for people, communities and the climate. It is not fair that, because of a broken transport system, so many people are paying through the nose to get to work or simply can’t get to the shops by public transport.
Under our current transport system—particularly in rural areas where public transport is sparse or non-existent—many people are relying on cars not out of choice, but because they have no alternative. We urgently need to plan a transport future that prioritises people over cars.
We believe that your Department’s Transport Strategy is an opportunity to change that by providing reliable, affordable and low-carbon options, thereby giving people a genuine choice in how they travel. This will only be possible if the strategy is also accompanied by the significant investment needed to create accessible and sustainable alternatives to car travel in areas that do not already have them.
Where public transport infrastructure is in place, it is increasingly unaffordable. Train travel has become a luxury, and the price of fares has made regular bus travel inaccessible for many, made worse by your government’s decision to scrap the £2 bus fare. If we want people to choose sustainable travel, it has to be the cheapest and most convenient option. That means shifting investment away from road expansion and into properly funded, affordable and accessible public transport for all.
The Transport Strategy must set clear targets to increase the number of journeys made using clean and healthy modes of transport—such as walking, wheeling, cycling and public, shared or public transport—whether used alone or in combination, with the aim of making these options not only more affordable but also more convenient than driving wherever possible.
It must include commitments for central government to work closely with local authorities to give them the necessary support and confidence to plan for safer and more accessible walking in their areas. It should also provide the investment needed to develop cycling infrastructure that supports safe journeys by bike for everyone from 8 to 80 years old, and which forms part of a joined-up transport network.
We urge you to ensure that the Transport Strategy addresses the injustices embedded in our current car-dependent transport system by:
(i) delivering reliable public transport services in rural and underserved areas;
(ii) reducing the unequal burden of pollution and road danger on low-income communities;
(iii) ensuring all transport infrastructure and services are fully accessible;
(iv) increasing participation in active travel among groups currently underrepresented but likely to benefit most, such as disabled people and those with health conditions.
We further urge you to develop the Strategy with a clear recognition that a well-functioning transport system is essential to achieving net zero targets and cutting air pollution in line with what the scientific and health evidence demands. According to the government’s most recent statistics, cars, trucks and vans accounted for 28% of total domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These vehicles produced twice as many total GHG emissions as from all fossil fuels burned to generate electricity in the UK during the same period. Building an integrated transport system with affordable, accessible and varied options is essential to reducing both car reliance and cutting emissions, easing pressure on both people and planet.
As well as the benefits to individuals, communities and the environment, transport investment provides excellent value for money, aligning with your government’s core mission of economic growth. Every £1 the government spends on bus services and infrastructure returns £4.55 in economic benefit; and for every £1 spent on the rail network, £2.50 value is delivered in the wider economy.
Road building, by contrast, increases congestion, which is estimated to cost the UK economy £7.5 billion every year in lost productivity. It’s therefore especially worrying that according to recent reports, the new £3 bus cap is going to be scrapped—and we hope you will work hard to get the Chancellor to protect this lifeline by making a strong case for the wider economic benefits.
We hope you will acknowledge that including clear and effective measures to encourage a modal shift in the Transport Strategy would support a strong economy while addressing many of the most immediate crises your government is tackling, including pollution, road danger, inactivity-related ill-health, energy dependence, and the climate emergency.
As the lead on transport within our Parliamentary group, Sian would like to meet with you to explore this further. We would be grateful if you would make time for this discussion.
We look forward to your response.
Adrian Ramsay MP co-signed this cross-party letter along with Sian Berry MP, Carla Denyer MP and Dr Ellie Chowns MP.
