Transport leaders rally for investment

Over the next few weeks, Greater Manchester’s transport leaders will be demonstrating to MPs how investment and integration on public transport can boost the economy.

The Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, in partnership with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, will engage with politicians at all three party conferences and show the need for long term predictable funding schemes.

Committee members will call for ongoing commitment to devolving transport funding and resources to the city-region level, where decisions on infrastructure and delivery are made with local knowledge and expertise.

They will also point out how national investments such as the HS2 high speed rail project have the capacity to radically improve inter-city connectivity, encouraging job creation, boosting productivity and widening opportunities.

Integration will be another key topic, with committee members calling for greater governmental support to help overcome key challenges and deliver a simple, fully integrated public transport fare system.

Fringe meetings have also been booked to support the presence at the main events, the first of which, the Liberal Democrat conference, starts on Monday 16 September in Glasgow.

Following this, the Labour conference will be held at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Brighton on 23 September and the Conservative conference will be held at Manchester Town Hall on Monday 30 September.

Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: “There is a close relationship between an efficient transport network and a growing and healthy economy.

“More investment and further work to integrate the transport network can support businesses, encourage job creation, boost productivity and widen opportunities.

“Investment and integration will not only reduce business costs but expand labour markets and make city regions much more productive places.

“The resulting economic growth will contribute to local, regional and national prosperity and it is that simple point that we will be presenting to Government over the next few weeks.”

Emma Antrobus, Transport Policy Manager at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce said: “Good transport links are vital to businesses being able to prosper and grow.

“However, we know that there is a shortage of capacity on many of our transport networks and we are keen to see investment being committed beyond the short term to deal with congested roads and over-crowded railways.”