Yesterday, the Urban Transport Group published the ‘Rail and Urban Transport Review’. This Review was commissioned in 2023 by the Labour party in opposition, to provide an independent input to its transport strategy and policy. The independent Review was led by Juergen Maier CBE, former Siemens CEO and guided by an Expert Panel from across the industry. Secretariat support was provided by the Urban Transport Group, with expertise and thought leadership support from Arup.
Max Sugarman, Chief Executive of Intelligent Transport Systems UK (ITS UK), said: “We commend the policy recommendations set out in the Rail and Urban Transport Review, particularly the call for cross-sectoral Transport Strategy for England (TSE) and proposals for a long-term strategy to fund asset maintenance and renewal in urban areas that harnesses advances in technology.
“Transport is often considered in siloes between modes, including across rail, road, active travel and more. But, the travelling public do not look at our transport system like that – they simply care that their journeys are efficient, safe, accessible, cost-effective and green. So, it is positive to see this report call for a Strategy that will bring modes together and look holistically at our transport network.
“As the ITS UK Manifesto for the Future of Transport highlights, technology plays a key role in the integration of our network. ITS UK and our member stand ready to support the new Government in breaking down siloes between transport modes, to ensure we can provide seamless end-to-end journeys for all who use the network.”