Real hope.
Real change.
Our transport choices account for around a quarter of carbon emissions, so it’s vital to make it easier to opt for greener choices. Yet public transport provision continues to decline, often leaving those on low incomes with no affordable options. Greens MPs will champion better, cheaper public transport, so that every community is connected and can thrive.
We will push to:
- Increase annual public subsidies for rail and bus travel to £10bn by the end of the next Parliament, with free bus travel for under-18s.
- Invest in an additional £19bn over five years to improve public transport, support electrification and create new cycleways and footpaths.
- Bring the railways back into public ownership.
- Give local authorities control over and funding for improved bus services.
Safe streets and active travel
Walking, wheeling and cycling don’t just help reduce carbon emissions and air pollution – they can make us all happier and healthier too.
Elected Greens will push for:
- Investment of £2.5bn a year in new cycleways and footpaths.
- Reimagining how we use streets in residential areas to reduce traffic and open them up for community use.
- Adopting Active Travel England’s objective of 50% of trips in England’s towns and cities to be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030.
Aviation
Aviation is the fastest-growing source of CO2 emissions, and it’s the wealthiest driving this trend.
Green MPs will push for:
- A frequent-flyer levy.
- A ban on domestic flights for journeys that would take less than three hours by train.
- A halt to the expansion of new airport capacity.
Herefordshire: cheaper buses supporting local people and businesses
Green-led Herefordshire Council acted to revive the local economy and help small businesses after the Covid pandemic, by making all buses within the county free at the weekend and putting on extra weekend services. This popular change helped bring people into town centres, giving businesses a boost. The scheme lasted nearly a year and used £1 million of Covid recovery funding. Nearly 170,000 journeys were taken and 12 new Sunday services laid on, giving great value for money.
Council officers had suggested that the money be used to make car parking free, but the Green cabinet member for economy shifted the focus to buses to help meet the Council’s climate emergency commitments and support the many poorer households with no access to a car. After the scheme ended, the five most popular services have continued seven days a week, with most users now happy to pay for tickets.
That’s the difference a Green in power can make!
