OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE                           

Written evidence submitted by the Department for Transport (JUJ0114)

Introduction

  1. Better Connected, a Strategy for Integrated Transport, published on [xx March 2026] sets out this government’s vision for domestic transport in England, transport that works well for people, that is safe, reliable, affordable and accessible so they can get on in life and make the journeys they need to easily. The strategy is a shift in how we consider transport – thinking not in terms of buses, bikes, cars or trains – but prioritising how people experience the network as an integrated whole and the transformative change we know they want to see and feel when using transport.
  2. This shift recognises the vital role transport plays as an enabler for people and for the economy. A better joined up transport network that helps people access better work and education opportunities also helps businesses reach more employees and customers, both in turn supporting growth, with improved connectivity creating increased labour market access and productivity across the country, helping to address regional disparities.

 

  1. As part of this shift in approach, the government has developed Better Connected from the ground up, co-designed and shaped by the people who use and operate the transport network every day. This includes:
  2. A truly integrated transport network must be supported by a joined up and functional wider transport system, so as well as setting out improvements to the network that people will experience, Better Connected also sets out how central government, local leaders and the private sector will work together in future to deliver what is right for people, both at a national and local level. It embeds devolution and local decision making into transport, recognising that local leaders should decide what good transport means in their areas, and giving them the funding, tools and direction to deliver.
  3. Alongside the vision, principles and priorities we will adopt, Better Connected contains [43] new fully funded commitments that will be delivered this Parliament, including:
  4. Better Connected is a call to action for everyone in the transport system, at national, regional and local levels, to approach the development and delivery of transport through a new lens; putting people at the heart of everything we do so transport serves them no matter who they are, using transport to create better connecting places across the country so communities can thrive and grow, and working in partnership so that decision making is effective, collaborative and delivers the right outcomes for people and places. This is how we will deliver an integrated and joined-up transport system that supports people and the economy.
  5. The evidence provided in this document draws largely on the approach set out in Better Connected and the supporting published evidence base, which also should be considered as a part of our evidence. Where relevant we have also provided information on additional policies, funding and commitments outside of the scope of Better Connected.

 

a) What are the key features that make a transport system feel joined up to the user? How would ‘integrated’ transport look different to current services and networks?

  1. What makes the transport network feel ‘integrated’ can vary between different people, types of transport and locations. Broadly we know that users feel that an integrated and joined up transport network should be easy to use. It should enable people to get where they need to go, when they need to go there, supporting how they choose to travel. It should feel seamless to the user as they switch types of transport or complete multiple legs of their journey. Information on delays, connections, timetables, fares and payment methods should be easy to find and use, with transport being easy, accessible, affordable and reliable, enabling users to feel calm, confident and safe.
  2. As part of the Department’s approach of creating Better Connected we engaged with a variety of stakeholders to understand their views on integration and what good transport means for them. This evidence was collated and analysed to ensure the strategy achieved integration in a way that benefits as many people as possible
  3. The user experiences outlined below were captured as part of our Regional Roadshow and People Panels but were echoed across our engagement and research initiatives. Further detail can be found in the Call for Ideas Summary and Evidence and Analysis Summary.
  4. Discussions across the Regional Roadshow events were grouped into core themes identified in advance, drawing on previous research and engagement undertaken by the Department and its partners. Recognising ‘integration’ can mean different things in different locations and according to individual experiences, these were:
  5. The same groupings have been used below to summarise the views provided.

User experience, accessibility and affordability

  1. Regional Roadshow participants emphasised the need to prioritise transport reliability, accessibility, and affordability. They felt a passenger-first approach should enable seamless regional journeys across all types of transport. Equity was a recurring theme raised, with policies that empower all users, including disabled people, those on low incomes and in rural communities needed, with participants stating that transport should be considered a right not a privilege. As part of the People’s Panels, disabled people, rural communities and those on low incomes stated that clear pricing and ticketing were key to feeling confident to travel.
  2. To create a more joined up transport network within urban areas, Roadshow participants felt that integrated ticketing and payment systems should allow travellers to use a single method or ticket across different operators and modes, with simple and straightforward fares and price structures that are easy to understand. People’s Panel respondents highlighted that for younger people and those on lower incomes in particular, the reliability of public transport affects their quality of life and poorly connected public transport services create stress and limit mobility. Digital and physical infrastructure should work hand-in-hand and in real-time to support the different types of journeys users wish to make, including where possible complex, multi-stage trips.
  3. Real-time, accessible travel information covering all aspects of a journey, whether when driving or using public transport, were felt to be needed to empower users to plan confidently and adapt to any disruptions. Physical integration such as well-designed interchanges and coordinated timetables on public transport would ensure smooth transitions, minimises waiting times, and supports the use of public transport as a reliable alternative to private cars.
  4. As part of the People’s Panels, older people said improving safety and accessibility on transport is essential to preventing isolation in later life, with disabled participants stating that they feel the current transport system often fails to meet their needs and that inaccessible and unreliable transport limits access to essential parts of life. A joined-up network was recognised to be one that is accessible to everyone, featuring inclusive infrastructure such as step-free stations and accessible bus stops. Clear standards and consistent support would ensure that all people can travel with confidence regardless of disability or additional needs.

Health and wellbeing

  1. Roadshow participants highlighted that in a more joined up system, they would want to have greater choice in how they travel to their destination. During the People’s Panels, women and girls, older (65+), younger (17-24), and those living rurally, shared that their transport choices are significantly shaped by safety concerns across all parts of the journey, but that staff presence and visible investment are vital to building confidence. In such cases, improved integration would take the form of investments in walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure, and protecting socially necessary bus services. This would include pedestrianised streets, safe crossings and improved walking and cycling routes, making healthier travel choices more feasible.
  2. It was also suggested that transport investment decisions and cost-benefit appraisals should ensure the full social and economic value of transport is reflected, for example the long-term health benefits of more sustainable travel choices, such as improvements in air quality or reductions in obesity. A more holistic approach, where transport planning incentivises healthier choices, reduces the negative externalities associated with transport and could actively contribute to NHS priorities, was seen by participants to reduce long-term healthcare costs and improve people’s overall wellbeing. This included suggestions that joint-funding could support more active travel initiatives such as GP-prescribed walking and cycling schemes and improving access to healthcare via public transport.

Housing, planning and place

  1. Throughout the Department’s engagements, a strong message from participants was the importance of integrating transport into housing strategies, spatial frameworks and statutory guidance from the beginning. School streets, cycling infrastructure, and public transport connections were seen as important to creating liveable neighbourhoods and ensuring seamless access to education, healthcare, leisure, and retail. Participants commonly expressed the idea that retrofitting good transport into developments was ineffective.
  2. Engagement showed that participants believe transport should be fully integrated from the start in placemaking and urban planning to create sustainable, well-connected communities. This includes aligning transport, housing and infrastructure decisions, supported by more devolved decision-making powers. Here, it was suggested that integration should involve devolving powers to local leaders, empowering them to tailor solutions to the needs of their communities, supported by replacing current short-term funding cycles with a ten-year (or more) funding model.

Economy and growth

  1. Participants suggested that transport should be fully integrated into regional growth strategies, and that this would help ensure access to jobs, housing and skills as well as enhancing opportunities. Suggestions included improving multimodal connectivity, aligning public transport timetables with working patterns, and ensuring services were reliable, frequent and affordable.
  2. In a more joined up transport system, it was felt that better integration and more services across more places could help in reducing regional disparities by enabling businesses to locate in new areas and reach a larger pool of employees and customers. To achieve this, integration would include enabling people to access more and better jobs. With more people using public transport, it was also felt that the additional revenue should be used to reduce costs for all as well as being reinvested into further improving and integrating the transport system.

 

b) What stops effective integration happening now, and how can these barriers be overcome?

  1. We know there are still barriers within the transport network and wider transport system that prevent effective integration. As part of our extensive engagement and research to build Better Connected the following barriers were highlighted:
  2. Barriers were also explored at our People’s Panels, with attendees primarily focussed on the barriers they experienced as a user of the network. A lack of coordination across transport modes, sectors and levels of government, and limited investment in active travel were flagged across multiple Panels. Cost of travel was seen as a significant barrier by multiple groups, as were safety and reliability. People wanted to be able to go where they needed to go and to have safe active travel routes to enable more journeys to be made by walking, wheeling and cycling, particularly as these are often the first and last stages of multi-modal journeys. They wanted to have reliable and affordable public transport that they could feel safe using.
  3. Through Better Connected, the government has set out its strategy to address many of the barriers passengers and other users of the transport network currently face. By introducing long‑term integrated funding settlements, clear pathways for good decision‑making and effective appraisal, and better tools and data for local authorities, we will tackle the fragmentation and short‑termism that currently impede collaboration and integration. Strengthened passenger advocacy, co‑designed accessibility standards, and improvements to active travel, shared mobility and greater alignment between housing and transport, will help remove key physical and systemic barriers.

System-wide changes

  1. As part of this Government’s commitment to change things for the better, we are already delivering some of the most significant transport changes in a generation.
  2. First and foremost, the government is bringing together track and train under the leadership of Great British Railways. This will close the door on an era of fragmentation across the railways with one organisation responsible and accountable for delivering for passengers and freight. This will support integration of timetables, services and stations that work for communities, and simplified fares for passengers.
  3. The government is also driving forward bus reform, reflecting the critical role buses play within our transport network. Buses are the most used form of public transport in England, but change is required to ensure that buses deliver on the needs of the communities they serve. We will:
  4. Local transport is already heavily devolved in England, however, to enable every region to realise its full potential, we will give local places greater freedom to design transport services and infrastructure to suit their circumstances, while also supporting national transport priorities.
  5. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill currently progressing through Parliament, standardises the powers and duties of strategic authorities, including responsibilities for local transport planning and securing bus services, alongside ensuring governance arrangements for using these powers are consistent. New deeper transport powers are also provided for, including powers for local transport authorities to license micromobility schemes, like bike rental, as well as powers for mayors to direct over their key route network, the most important local roads in the area.
  6. There are significant benefits to all local transport authorities, including strategic authorities, being responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing, enabling the sector to be fully considered and integrated in local transport plans. Taxis and PHVs are an integral part of local transport networks and are particularly relied upon by those with mobility difficulties. A consultation on this proposal was launched on 8 January 2026 and will close on 1 April 2026.
  7. Local authorities often face capability and capacity challenges which impact transport delivery. We want local authorities to have the skills and resources to plan and deliver confidently. Through Better Connected, we have committed to the development of a “Transport Evaluation Support” programme to provide professional evaluation advice to local authorities to help trial and evaluate new solutions, building a robust evidence base on their effectiveness. Additionally, we will publish updated Local Transport Plan guidance this year to set out in more detail on what we want local transport authorities to prioritise. This will be paired with other ongoing initiatives such as skills workshops, Centres of Excellence and using Active Travel England’s capability ratings to offer more targeted support.

 

c) What kinds of interventions and policy decisions are needed to provide joined-up transport, including in areas beyond transport such as planning?

  1. As outlined in response to question (a), integration of the transport system means different things to different users but is commonly visualised as seamless end-to-end journeys, with live and reliable information and simple payment methods shared across different types of transport. A truly integrated network provides travellers with the confidence and capability to get to their destinations, regardless of disability or additional needs. To achieve this, we must address the barriers to integration which, as shown in question (b) are felt to be isolated decision making, limited investment in public transport and active travel, and a lack of meaningful engagement with local communities.
  2. Intervention and cultural change is required to further join-up not just the transport network, but also the wider transport system in which decisions are made. To do this, Better Connected sets out our vision for a transport system that works better for people, with three new guiding principles at its heart of People, Place and Partnership. First and foremost, we will ensure that people are at the heart of everything we do, so transport serves them, no matter who they are. Second, we will use transport to create better connected places across the country, so communities can thrive and grow. And finally, we will work in partnership across government, with local leaders and the transport sector, so that decision-making is effective, collaborative, and delivers the right outcomes for people and places. We will work both internally within the Department and with our cross government and external partners to ensure that interventions and policy decisions made in future are aligned to these three principles.  
  3. The eight priorities in Better Connected have been shaped by what people and stakeholders have told us matter most to them and by what this government wants to achieve in transport. The priorities are:
  4. Our three guiding principles and eight priorities intend to go beyond the traditional approach to transport which can be stifled by outdated thinking of transport as siloed and separate modes. Instead, we will consider transport from a new lens – the needs of people and what matters most to them as they move around. Policy interventions will be needed beyond the traditional approach, and by aligning our culture, funding and policy interventions to the principles and priorities in Better Connected, we can achieve a more joined-up transport system that works better for people.  

 

d) How should transport integration and its benefits be measured and evaluated—including the impact on economic growth, decarbonisation and the Government’s other ‘missions’?

  1. To measure the impact of transport policies, we undertake appraisals in a variety of ways to support policy development and delivery. This includes business cases (e.g. for specific schemes such as upgrading a road) and impact assessments (e.g. for changes in legislation).
  2. Our Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) provides a common and holistic framework for appraisal, enabling us to quantify the costs and benefits of a range of transport interventions, including those targeted at improving transport integration. TAG is underpinned by the key principles set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book - the government’s guidance on appraisal, the process of assessing the costs, benefits and risks of different options for achieving government objective.
  3. The benefits capture impacts on welfare and wellbeing of society, which is also called ‘social value’ or ‘public value’. This includes direct benefits to transport users, e.g. time savings, as well as wider economic, social and environmental impacts, such as impacts on productivity, air quality, and accidents. Many of the impacts can be ‘monetised’, meaning they are expressed in monetary (£) terms, but non-monetised impacts can also be considered qualitatively.
  4. The costs to the Department are known as ‘the broad transport budget’. This includes upfront and ongoing costs of designing, building, operating and maintaining infrastructure, and changes in revenues (e.g. farebox) resulting from the interventions.
  5. TAG allows for different policy options to be assessed against strategic objectives, such as growth and decarbonisation. For example, TAG has a specific guidance for estimating the growth impacts using appraisal outputs, which means decision makers can compare the relative contribution of different policies to economic growth. This is also the case with decarbonisation, where we routinely quantify carbon impacts, including the use of transport, construction of infrastructure and changes in travel patterns.
  6. The costs and benefits are brought together in the value for money (VfM) assessment. This requires a balanced judgement about the optimal use of public resources based on the consideration of various factors such as the performance against the proposals objectives, the monetisable and non-monetisable costs, the public sector financial impact of the proposal, the distributional impacts and the risks and uncertainties associated with the proposal.
  7. Our evaluations examine the effectiveness of our principal interventions, providing accountability and evidence to guide our future policies and investments. The upcoming Appraisal, Modelling and Evaluation Strategy will detail progress with 34 current evaluations and links to 64 published evaluation reports. Transport integration is addressed in many of our evaluations, including those covering local investment programmes, rail enhancements and stations, the e-scooters trials and active travel schemes.
  8. We measure people’s experience of transport integration through our National Travel Survey, which provides regular statistical updates. Further evidence is obtained from targeted social research studies that examine topics such as changing trends in travel use, people’s experiences of multi-stage journeys and the travel experiences of disabled people. We draw on all this information, and other published research, to inform the development of the Department’s policies and wider government ambitions.
  9. We are committed to monitoring and evaluating delivery of Better Connected and will publish a progress update this Parliament. We will:

 

e) How should the cost of interventions needed to deliver transport integration be assessed and appraised? Will proposed changes to methodology in the Treasury’s ‘Green Book’, including the introduction of ‘place-based business cases’, change this?

  1. The answer to question (d) sets out how costs should be addressed and appraised. The below focuses on changes to the Green Book and introduction of place-based business cases (PBBCs).
  2. The aim of the Green Book Review, published in July 2025, was to consider issues of the Green Book guidance itself, how the guidance was being applied in practice and the wider culture around appraisal and decision making in the public sector. Two key actions were to publish a revised Green Book, and to introduce PBBCs.
  3. The changes in the updated HM Treasury’s Green Book, published in February 2026, and the forthcoming introduction of place-based business case guidance will have some impacts on how interventions are assessed. The changes that a particularly relevant to transport are:
  4. PBBCs are still under development. The Green Book Review said PBBCs will set out the strategy and analysis for a set of proposals in a particular place. They will function like a portfolio business case, sitting above the individual project and programme business cases for specific interventions. A taskforce led by HM Treasury including DfT, MHCLG and local and regional partners are continuing to progress their development. The Government announced that PBBCs will be piloted in Liverpool, Plymouth, Port Talbot and Birmingham. The pilot locations will enable us to co-develop the guidance with local leaders.

f) Will integration in itself deliver other benefits such as wider transport options in more places, and behaviour changes such as mode shift? What other impacts could it have?

  1. A secure, reliable, and integrated transport network enables growth and brings communities closer to vital services, jobs and educational opportunities, increasing both labour supply and productivity. As detailed in our supporting Evidence and Analysis for Better Connected, there is a clear link between better transport connectivity and growth. For example, integrating transport into housing and new developments creates well connected and accessible areas which could generate up to 50% more positive economic impact in terms of employment and productivity compared to areas of less connectivity.

Tailored local transport options

  1. Ensuring local areas have the powers they need to deliver good transport is essential to ensuring they can create locally integrated networks that work for their communities, tailoring transport options and interventions to suit their needs. To realise this benefit, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will standardise and deepen transport powers for Strategic authorities and local transport authorities, so that local leaders are able to enact policies that make the most of their area’s unique strengths and address their problems, including in places that have traditionally been underserved. We will also provide increased multi-year funding in towns and cities which will provide local leaders with the certainty they need to make strategic decisions that address local issues and progress local priorities in their transport network.
  2. By providing better connected and locally integrated services in more places, more people will be able to access additional or better jobs, with costs being cut for both households and businesses. This will help ensure that regional disparities are reduced as well as helping to improve living standards across England. With businesses being able to reach a wider pool of employees and customers, innovation could also be boosted due to accessing a larger range of people, their skills and ideas.

Increased innovation and shared expertise

  1. To further drive innovation, we will encourage new and existing partnerships with universities, academia, and local places to bring vital technical expertise, research capability, and local insight into transport development and delivery. This will help local authorities to drive change through sharing experiences and expertise. We are bringing together local authorities and the transport sector to focus innovation efforts, identifying priority technologies for local adoption to build confidence and work in partnership to pool resources. As part of the Transport Innovation Procurement Pathway, we will publish a list of innovation priorities, developed in partnership with stakeholders to signal our intentions to the market and to enable local authorities to feel confident in procuring new technologies.

Alignment of transport and development

  1. Transport, housing and wider land use planning have historically been considered in isolation, leading to developments that can lack good public transport and safe walking, wheeling and cycling routes. This government is committed to taking a joined-up approach that will lead to better places where people want to live and can travel how they choose. This will be achieved by using transport to unlock sustainable patterns of development, building at higher densities around public transport, and ensuring join-up across the system. Using the Government’s Connectivity Tool, we will empower local plan makers and decision takers to align land use and transport considerations in a way that optimises development opportunities and makes a more efficient use of land by locating development in areas that are well connected to key services and jobs by sustainable transport options.
  2. The Government’s ambition is to build more new homes in this Parliament, and we want to use transport to ensure that these new homes are connected by sustainable and good transport options. We will be working in close partnership across government, embedding the alignment of transport and housing into local and national capital investment programmes, and ensuring that through vision-led transport planning across all tiers of government we set clear outcomes for people and places from the outset of housing and infrastructure projects.

Improving transport choices and safety

  1. Through better integration of all types of transport, we will make public transport and walking, wheeling and cycling more attractive options, give people more choice over how and when they travel and provide good alternatives to the private car in more places. With safety being reported as the top reason that people don’t cycle (43% of respondents) and increasing the frequency of services being the top measure to increase bus use (37% of respondents)[1], the required interventions are clear to help people feel they have more viable options for travel.
  2. We will provide greater choice in how people travel to their destinations by investing in walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure with good connections to transport interchanges and key destinations. We will empower local transport authorities to better protect their socially necessary services in the Bus Services Act, and by capping bus fares and freezing regulated rail fares, we aim to make public transport more appealing to more people, driving increased revenue and reinvestment into services. This will enable people to make more sustainable travel choices, including active travel, as they have more options available to them, promoting heathier lifestyles across the country.
  3. Improving the feeling of safety on public transport can also encourage greater use, with improved integration and information being one way to help. We know that people tend to feel most unsafe at waiting points on their journey, so to combat this, we have committed to providing funding to track punctuality and enforce timetables as well as improving the quality of real-time information, ensuring digital bus timetables accurately reflect arrival times. This will help people plan their journeys with access to reliable and up-to-date information, reducing time spent waiting.
  4. Most adults (88%) feel fairly safe on public transport, though only 14% of women report feeling very safe[2]. The Department has an ambitious, evidence-based programme of work in support the Government’s aim to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls by half over the next decade, which includes:
  5. Publish statutory guidance by the end of 2027, setting out clear recommendations for making all bus stations and stops in England as safe and accessible as possible. Local authorities must have regard to this guidance when planning, upgrading or maintaining these facilities. Measures that provide support for people most at risk (such as those above) help create a safer and more welcoming transport system for everyone, giving people peace of mind while going about their day.

 

g) What is needed to ensure that integration is inclusive and meets the diverse needs of transport users? Will integration necessarily lead to better outcomes for accessibility?

  1. A truly integrated transport system requires accessibility to be built in from the start to ensure consistent and transparent standards that user confidence and trust. This must be supported by a clear legal framework, shared system‑wide standards, stronger enforcement, improved staff training, removal of physical barriers, and enhanced safety measures. An accessibility‑by‑design approach will deliver more confident, safe and equitable journeys for all.
  2. We want accessibility to be embedded from the outset as a core principle of designing transport, ensuring people can travel confidently and safely whatever their needs or background. The Transport Select Committee’s disabled people’s access to transport report highlighted how the complex and disjointed nature of the legal and regulatory environment makes it difficult for disabled people and transport providers to understand their rights and obligations. By focusing on making the transport system inclusive and accessible by design and integrating these principles across different modes, it will lead to better outcomes for accessibility.
  3. To establish a shared direction for accessibility across the transport system, we will be launching an Accessible Travel Charter, working with disabled people, regulators, enforcement bodies, authorities and transport providers, and using collaborative engagement to develop a shared set of principles that will guide transport providers and deliver improvements for disabled passengers. We have asked the Law Commission to review the current legal framework for transport accessibility to ensure that rights, responsibilities and accountability are clear, understood, upheld and enforced.
  4. As part of the introduction of new national minimum standards in taxi and private hire vehicle licensing through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, we intend to require drivers to undertake disability equality awareness training so that they are aware of their duties and enable robust action to be taken against them if they do not follow their duties. This is in response to the persistent problem of some taxi and private hire vehicle drivers refusing to carry wheelchair users and assistance dog owners or charging them more.
  5. We want to see physical barriers to travel reduced as far as possible, so that people can move around their streets and access transport more easily. We are supporting several interventions that will help achieve this. This includes: devolving powers that allow local transport authorities to prohibit pavement parking in their local area, subject to exemptions for certain classes of vehicles and in certain situations; publishing statutory guidance on floating bus stops, developing and sharing design assurance toolsets that enable more accessible walking and cycling routes; and carrying on with our Access for All programme at selected stations to provide more step-free stations.
  6. In addition, through the Bus Services Act 2025 we are requiring local transport authorities to publish Bus Network Accessibility Plans, assessing the accessibility of their bus networks and any measures planned to improve them, and to have regard to new statutory guidance on the safety and accessibility of bus stopping places. These measures encourage authorities to think actively about how services can better work for disabled people, including through more effective integration.
  7. To increase confidence in the transport network, we are also making improvements to the Passenger Assist scheme and strengthening promotion of our Disability Equality Training programme to build confidence and skills across the transport sector.
  8. We know that travel concessions are a lifeline for many, providing discounted or free travel for eligible groups to help people access opportunities for leisure or work. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will ensure that Strategic authorities have the necessary concessionary travel powers to manage concessions across their wider geography, aligned with local transport and local growth planning.

 

h) Will the meaning of integration vary across different kinds of areas and for different kinds of journeys? (such as rural and suburban areas, and inter-city journeys)

  1. Integration will look different across England to reflect diverse landscapes, and the differing features in each type of place meaning that different transport solutions are needed to meet the needs of the local community. This differentiation is clearly reflected in Better Connected, and the strategy describes how integration will vary for urban, suburban and rural areas. In further recognition of this, we are empowering accountable local leaders with the right transport powers and flexibility so that each area can decide what is right for them and deliver the form of integrated transport that best meets their communities’ needs.

Empowering Local Leaders

  1. The English Devolution White Paper, published December 2024, set out the urgent need for change and a completely new way of governing – a generational project to shift powers and resources to our great regions and the communities they serve. It will be fundamental in delivering the rebalance of power away from central government so that local leaders, who know their area best, can take charge and increase prosperity for local people. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will provide strategic authorities with an enhanced framework of transport powers and functions to enable them to better coordinate, plan and deliver transport that works for their area and for which they are accountable.
  2. Mayors in Mayoral Strategic Authorities will be responsible for their area’s Local Transport Plan. They will hold a Power of Direction over their Key Route Network (the most important local roads in the area) and will be given a statutory role in governing, managing, planning, and developing the rail network through the Railways Bill. Local leaders will be able to deliver bus services in the way that best suits their local area, joining up the transport system either via bus franchising or strengthening local partnerships with bus operators through the Bus Services Act. They will be empowered to better protect services that are considered socially necessary and we encourage them to consider schools and other educational settings in their Local Transport Plans. 
  3. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will deliver new powers for all local transport authorities, not just mayoral strategic authorities. Our bus reforms, including the Bus Services Act 2025, are designed to give local leaders the tools they need and empower them to choose the model that works best for their communities, including tackling the unique challenges faced by rural areas. Supporting this, the Department will provide capability and capacity building initiatives for local transport authorities and provide examples of best practice.
  4. We are also simplifying local transport funding to bring decision-making over local transport closer to the people who use it and empower leaders to drive improvement in their communities. In addition, the Department is providing all local transport authorities with multi-year consolidated funding settlements, delivering our commitment in the English Devolution White Paper to simplify funding. These consolidated local transport settlements will give local transport authorities greater freedom and flexibility to make the strategic decisions that best impact their local areas. We have also changed the formula used to calculate Local Authority Bus Grant allocations for 2026/27 onwards to account for the unique challenges faced by rural areas, and this now includes consideration of the rurality of local areas for the first time, in addition to population size, levels of deprivation, and the extent of existing bus services.

 

Transport in different settings

  1. In general, spatial planning in urban areas should consider proximity to public transport links and building at high and ambitious densities to support its use, creating developments where reliance on private cars is reduced to access shops, jobs and education opportunities. People should be able to walk, wheel and cycle entire local journeys, enabled by accessible infrastructure and supportive policies. Taxis and private hire vehicles can support first and last mile integration and provide coverage outside of peak times, for example at night to support a city’s night-time economy.
  2. By contrast, in rural areas, spatial planning should consider how to minimise transport-related social exclusion and ensure that solutions align with local housing, environmental priorities and the Land Use Framework. Good walking, wheeling and cycling solutions should be delivered between small communities, with safe and well-maintained roads for those who rely on their car. More people rely on private vehicles than in either suburban or urban areas, and therefore better integration should include expanding the electric vehicle charging network and integrating self-driving vehicles and demand-led transport.
  3. For suburban areas, and like urban areas, local authorities should consider proximity to public transport links and building at higher densities to support public transport viability, considering proximity to shops, services and other facilities to encourage walking, wheeling and cycling for shorter trips. Walking, wheeling and cycling should enable first and last mile connectivity and shorter journeys, whilst public transport connections to the nearest towns and cities should be dependable and frequent. Park-and-ride schemes, car sharing schemes and car clubs should be readily available along with reliable charging infrastructure for private electric vehicles.
  4. Local authorities will be able to use their considerable existing powers as well as further powers outlined in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to tailor local solutions to the planning and demand needs of their area.

 

i) What lessons can be drawn from attempts to integrate transport elsewhere in the UK and around the world? What examples should the Government seek to emulate?

  1. When considering how to improve transport integration, it is right to assess and learn from the successes of others. We have seen great innovation by local authorities on their local transport networks and are committed to learning lessons from these trials and to considering how they can be implemented more widely across the country. A wide variety of domestic case studies and how they have influenced our approach and can be emulated can be found throughout Better Connected.
  2. One example of how successful integration is Bradford’s initiative, Creating a Healthier City. Their strategy includes continued investment in walking, wheeling and cycling, which has transformed the city centre with the aim of reshaping it into a cleaner, healthier and more inclusive place to live and travel. The improvements include pedestrianised streets, safer crossings, and enhanced walking and cycling routes. The introduction of their Clean Air Zone in 2022 has already cut NO2 levels by 6%, with early evidence showing a 25% drop in GP visits for respiratory issues – saving the NHS over £30,000 a month in appointments.
  3. Useful lessons can also be drawn from Brighton & Hove where they put user experience and needs at the heart of their transport design. By listening and learning from the lived experiences of disabled people they have co-designed and co-produced a range of measures to make bus travel more welcoming for all. All drivers and front-line staff working on the buses in Brighton and Hove receive disability awareness training, and buses are equipped with features such as two wheelchair spaces, audio-visual announcements, hearing loops, enhanced displays for vision impaired and deaf and hard of hearing people and dementia-friendly flooring and design elements. The company also runs travel confidence sessions to help people familiarise themselves with using public transport and have dedicated accessibility and communities’ team. These efforts are part of a wider commitment to helping more people travel independently and confidently across the city.
  4. Internationally, the French city of Dijon highlights how a city can sustain a public transport offer that has frequency rates and convenience comparable to inner London with a population comparable to Plymouth. Over ten years ago, public transport was recognised as unsatisfactory in Greater Dijon, with a busy yet unreliable and dated bus network. Congestion was a problem at most of its main junctions and there was a feeling that the city centre was in decline. Through various funding streams including an investment bank providing financing, government grants and borrowing from the public sector, Dijon was able to enable high public transport rates (more than double the average for towns and cities in England) and a public transport network that looks and feels as it might do in inner London.
  5. Dijon was able to achieve this through a number of initiatives. This included installing bus/tram priority signals on all major junctions, pedestrianising the entirety of the old town, reducing on-street parking in the city centre whilst increasing the total net number of spaces by building/renovating 11 new car parks, and integrating parking and public transport ticketing. On top of these initiatives, the tram network was made fully accessible, with the bus network soon to follow. In addition, there are small hopper e-buses which take less-mobile residents around the city centre. Cycle lanes were built along busy corridors and traffic calming is being installed on almost all residential roads, enabling people to walk and cycle more. Regarding the main bus routes in the city, the services are very regular enabling passengers to turn up and go throughout the day as well as into the night, and there is clear communication from a central command centre with passengers when there is disruption to ensure that they can plan their journeys using accurate information.
  6. We are providing longer term resource allocations to places. This includes confirmed three-year resource settlements for those in receipt of the Local Transport Grant and confirmed resource settlements beyond the spending review period (up until 2031/32), for mayoral strategics authorities in receipt of Transport for City Regions settlements. By providing local leaders with longer term funding certainty and devolving more powers to them, local authorities will be empowered to learn the lessons from case studies such as Dijon, and the transformative power of well-planned and integrated interventions.

 

April 2026

Endnotes

[1] Better connected: an strategy for integrated transport - annex

[2] Personal safety on transport - GOV.UK, published February 2026