Transport Strategy

South West Transport Strategy

Why a transport strategy?

Dissatisfaction with transport is rife throughout the South West region - the daily lives of millions of people are blighted by noise, traffic danger and pollution, while businesses, commuters and tourists are stuck in traffic jams or on poor quality or non existent public transport. Those trying to walk or cycle to school, work or for leisure face country lanes that carry large amounts of speeding traffic and towns where the car dominates roads.

The answer to the spiraling misery of transport is not more of the same thing. It is a radical new direction that fundamentally challenges the nonsense of economic growth for its own sake, improves the transport choices of local communities and sets out to achieve world best standards for walking, cycling and public transport. None of this threatens jobs, inward investment or prosperity - these threats lie in the dirty, polluted, gridlocked alternative that is currently on offer. Instead, we are offering an alternative that will give the region REAL PROGRESS in tackling these.

A transport strategy for the south west needs to tackle all these issues, including the increasing isolation that many are facing in both town and country. However, transport is also the cause of many of the worst social and environmental problems we face. In particular, it is the fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions that are leading to worsening climate change, and one of the major causes of a range of health problems, from cancers to obesity.

Our solutions are to promote clean, efficient and affordable local transport and to stimulate local economies, so that the distances that people need to travel can be reduced and they can choose to use more sustainable methods of travelling. Let's start planning for the future generations and makes this a region that is economically more self reliant and becomes again a healthy and beautiful area to live and travel in.