Rail reform and aviation taxes part of ‘high five’ list of transport priorities for new government

Campaign for Better Transport has today (12 July) set out what it believes should be the ‘high five' transport priorities of Keir Starmer's new government.  

The transport charity is calling for swift action to untangle the messy rail fares system, provide long-term support for buses and introduce new taxes on aviation. It also calls for stringent targets to increase the use of sustainable transport, and a reform of vehicle taxation.  

Campaign for Better Transport's high five transport priorities: 

1. Introduce targets to increase use of public transport and active travel  
2. Reform rail fares 
3. Commit to long-term funding for buses  
4. Reverse the cut to domestic Air Passenger Duty, tax domestic aviation fuel and introduce a domestic flight reduction target  
5. Replace current vehicle taxation with a pay-as-you-drive scheme. 

Michael Solomon Williams, from Campaign for Better Transport, said: “It's welcome news that the new Transport Secretary wants her department to ‘move fast and fix things' and we suggest they start with these changes. Making train fares simpler and more affordable, protecting bus services for years to come, taxing the most polluting forms of transport, these are all fixes that will cut emissions, boost the economy, and improve people's day-to-day lives.”