LOCAL TRANSPORT

Free bus pass for carers to accompany those they care for. At the moment, disabled individuals get a free bus pass but if they need carers to help them get around they have to pay. This doesn't seem fair. 

Cheaper bus fares for all by following the Greater Manchester Bee Bus model.

We need a move to bus franchising instead of private operators deciding routes, timetables and fares. In this new model, the public authority plans the network. Private operators still run the buses, but under contract - similar to how Transport for London manages buses.

This will allow pricing to be driven by policy rather than being purely commercial. Fares can be kept low as a public service priority. The costs can be found in the efficiency of routes being coordinated so a reduction in duplication and gaps. This will lower operating costs overall, which supports lower fares.

Cambridge is famous for its cycling. The flat geography and the young demographic make cycling an important mode of transport in the city. We need to support this green form of transport, by campaigning for more cycle lanes, better routes and crossings, and safer roads (with fewer potholes). 

Cars are an important part of the transport system in Cambridge. Many of us need cars for shopping, visiting friends and family and often for our commutes. 

Restricting traffic (for example by closing Mill Road Bridge) simply pushes that traffic into other areas of the city. I am also not in favour of a congestion charge if it comes back on the table. It is a regressive tax and will affect those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, those who are time poor struggling with multiple jobs and responsibilities and those who live in Kings Hedges, and do not have amenities close by, whilst those who can afford it will continue to use their cars. I was previously vocal about being against it when I stood in two elections in Labour and my stance has not changed.

To reduce our dependency on cars, and therefore to reduce pollution and traffic, we need to offer viable alternatives. If we build public transport systems that are reliable and affordable then more people will have the choice not to drive. Better cycling infrastructure provides another alternative. With public transport as it is, many of us rely heavily on our cars to travel about.

Designing car use out of new developments does not help, we must reduce the underlying need for cars.