The Resource Centre holds all our documents (briefings, consultation responses, press releases and reports). Signed-in members also have access to projects. You can search the Resource Centre by topic or by type of document.
Resources
Resources
Air quality
July, 2019
Working to improve air quality is a key challenge and priority across our members. Here are our five operational asks of Government which would help us to achieve this aim.
Multi-Operator Ticket Comparison 2019
July, 2019
This document provides comparative analysis of bus operator fares and multi-operator ticket fareas across Urban Transport Group member areas and a range of comparators. This information was collected in June 2019 and was correct at the time of research. Bus fares change regularly and it is likely that some of the fares are out of date, however, this is intended as a snap shot analysis and should be treated as such.
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Bus Fares Research 2019
July, 2019
This briefing provides a summary of bus fares from the main operators across Urban Transport Group member areas. Bus fare information was collected in June 2019 and was correct at the time of research. Bus fares are updated regularly so it is likely that some of the fares have already changes, however, this document is a snap shot analysis and should be treated as such.
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Number crunch 2019: Urban transport trends in changing times
June, 2019
We are living in rapidly changing times. Big shifts are taking place in urban transport trends.
Number crunch 2019 is the second in our Number crunch report series and provides an updated overview of the key trends over the last ten years, as well as taking a look at what the new and most recent data is telling us. The report also investigates some new issues – including housing need and social inclusion.
In these changing times, the case for coordinated and integrated transport planning at the city region level is stronger than ever. So is the case for long term funding frameworks for local urban transport rather than stop-start funding as is currently the case.
How people respond to the experience of bus travel and the implications for the future of bus services
May, 2019
This literature review - carried out by SYSTRA for the Urban Transport Group - aims to appraise the existing evidence base on the range of factors that influence how people respond to the experience of bus travel, with a focus on the social-emotional experience of bus travel and on the experiences of different socio-demographic groups.
The review does not aim to act as a ‘to-do’ list to complete in order to improve bus travel experiences. Any learnings taken should acknowledge that the bus services assessed in the literature are often hyper-local and therefore are experienced in a very individual market.
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Williams Rail Review - Call for evidence: objectives and assessment criteria
April, 2019
Our consultation response to the Williams Rail Review's call for evidence on objectives and assessment criteria. The Review was established to recommend the most appropriate organisational and commercial frameworks to support the delivery of the government’s vision for the railway.
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing: Protecting Users - Consultation on Statutory Guidance for Licensing Authorities
April, 2019
Our response to the Department for Transport's consultation on Statutory Guidance for Licensing Authorities on Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing.
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
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Spending Review 2019
March, 2019
Initial response to the 2019 spending review
Consulting body:
HM Treasury
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The cross-sector benefits of backing the bus
March, 2019
This report highlights how investing in bus services is key to achieving a wide range of policy objectives across Government.
The report also finds that the way in which bus services are funded is mired in complexity, with no oversight within Whitehall of how the various funding streams from different Government departments impact on bus services overall.
It also shows that all the main forms of funding for bus services are under severe pressure – in particular those that come indirectly from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government which support bus services that bus companies will not provide on a commercial basis. The report calls for a new ‘Connectivity Fund’ – which would bring together existing bus funding together with funding from other Government Departments into a significantly enhanced and ring-fenced pot for local government to support bus services.
Our asks of Government on Brexit and urban transport
March, 2019
This briefing sets out Urban Transport Group's asks of Government on Brexit and urban transport, based around four broad categories of people; funding and investment; the policy framework; and place-based impact.
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Policy Futures - Highways
September, 2014
This Policy Futures paper sets out the changes needed to better co-ordinate national and local highways policy to achieve wider economic, environment and social goals.
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Policy Futures - Air quality
September, 2014
This Policy Futures paper sets out the policy changes needed to better tackle the air quality problems caused by transport in the city regions.
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Policy Futures paper - Buses
July, 2014
This paper sets out the policy changes needed for the bus to play its full part in creating wider modern, cost effective and integrated public transport networks for the city regions.
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Rail in the North of England
June, 2014
A briefing on Rail in the North - and the case for investment and a growing railway.
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Multi operator ticketing comparison
May, 2014
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Government proposals to ban CCTV enforcement of parking and implications for buses
January, 2014
On 6th December 2013 the Government issued a consultation document on local government parking strategies. The stated aim of the proposals is to help with the cost of living and to support local shops. In this briefing we concentrate on the CCTV enforcement proposals – and in particular the implications for buses.
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HMT 2013 Spending Review: transport number crunch
October, 2013
Briefing analysing what the 2013 Spending Review means for transport. It takes a closer look at the overall funding envelope for the UK government and the Department for Transport and how this has evolved, before looking at the balance between resource/revenue and capital budgets and the specific challenges facing local transport over the next couple of years.
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What do the health reforms mean for PTEs?
May, 2013
A pteg briefing, written with support from Sustrans and Dr Adrian Davis, on the opportunities for PTEs presented by the Government's health reforms.
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A better deal for the bus from the Spending Review
April, 2013
Summarises how buses are funded, the raw deal they have been getting, and how the Spending Review can give the bus the greater share of available funding that it deserves given its contribution to multiple Government policy goals.
Transport number crunch
February, 2013
In this briefing we seek to place the 2011 and 2012 Autumn Statements in the context of other major changes in transport funding that have taken place since May 2010, analysing the implications for local transport.
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A Bumpy Ride for Local Highways Maintenance
September, 2015
The funding and economics of highways maintenance on local roads in the English city regions.
This report reveals a growing gap between spending on road maintenance on national roads when compared with local roads.
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Our vision for Smart Ticketing in the City Regions
June, 2015
This document sets out the progress we have made and the barriers that need to be overcome if the city regions are to get ticketing that looks and feels more like Oyster.
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Small but Mighty: Delivering big value for money
June, 2015
This report reviews ten examples of small scale transport schemes that have been delivered by pteg members. The case studies range from intelligent bus priority, to journey planning advice, cycle hire and new bus links. The report shows that small schemes can achieve outstanding value for money by: making use of local knowledge; being responsive to changing circumstances; and by being effectively targeted. Small schemes can also help provide proof of concept for novel interventions.
This report builds on our 2011 report on the ‘Value for money and appraisal of small schemes’, which gathered over 150 separate pieces of evidence and showed that, on average, smaller schemes deliver £3.50 of economic benefits for every £1 of public spending. Our wider work demonstrating the impact of local transport spending also includes the 2014 ‘Transport Works for Jobs and Growth’ report, the 2013 ‘Case for the Urban Bus’ report and the transportworks.org website.
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Revenue vs Capital Mismatch
March, 2015
The next few years will see an upward trend in local transport capital grant funding from central government, supported by a wide-ranging consensus about the contribution of local transport networks to economic growth. In contrast, Local Authorities have seen a sustained decline in resource funding, driven by deep cuts to the Department for Communities and Local Government‟s (DCLG) budget. And there is no sign the cuts are about to stop. As the mismatch between capital and revenue funding grows, this could ultimately damage the effectiveness of capital investment in local transport networks. This report explores how resource funding constraints are affecting the delivery of local transport capital schemes and how this is likely to evolve over the next few years.
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A Healthy Relationship: Public health and transport collaboration in local government
February, 2015
This report sets out the findings of a survey of all Directors of Public Health (DsPH) in England. The survey investigated the extent of collaboration between public health and transport teams within local government since public health teams moved into top-tier local authorities in April 2013. As well as analysis of survey results, the report includes a series of case studies exploring examples of good practice in more detail. The majority of DsPH responding to the survey said that there had been an improvement in the extent of their team’s collaboration with transport planning colleagues since the move to local government. Most placed a medium to high priority to on the health impacts of road transport in their work programme; had had the opportunity to engage with the development of local transport plans; and had participated in jointly funded projects and data sharing with transport colleagues. DsPH identified a number of barriers to further joint working, but there were also numerous examples of good practice. The research was conducted for pteg by public health and transport specialist, Dr Adrian Davis.
Delivering the future: New approaches to urban freight
February, 2015
This report highlights the essential role of urban freight in ensuring the effective functioning of the UK economy and presents a fresh vision designed to safeguard this role as well as protect the environment and quality of life for communities. It envisages that every opportunity should be taken for freight to make its way to urban areas by rail or water, either directly into those areas, or into the major distribution parks that serve them. It argues that those distribution sites should be located so that it is practical for goods to travel the last mile(s) into urban centres using zero/low emission modes. These last mile journeys should be achieved as safely, unobtrusively and with as little environmental impact as possible. The report explores a number of ideas that could assist in achieving this vision and calls for a broader, nationwide freight strategy to provide direction and leadership to the industry and its stakeholders.
Ticket to Thrive: The role of urban public transport in tackling unemployment
February, 2015
This report reveals the vital role of public transport, and the bus in particular, in enabling people to find and sustain employment. Some 77% of jobseekers in British cities outside London do not have regular access to a car, van or motorbike and can face significant barriers to work as a result. The report finds that these barriers include expensive public transport tickets; poorly connected employment sites; mismatches between working hours and available transport; and limited travel horizons. It recommends seven key policies that could help overcome these obstacles, including: a new funding deal to enable local councils to protect lifeline bus services and connect people to opportunity; more effective powers over bus services for local transport authorities, offering them greater control over where and when buses run and the affordability of fares; a review of the potential for an adequately funded national jobseeker and apprentice travel concession.
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Oxford SmartZone
February, 2015
In 2011, the two main bus operators in the city of Oxford introduced an inter-operable smart ticketing system known as the SmartZone. Meanwhile, many other parts of the country have faced significant challenges in attempting to introduce inter-operable smart ticketing in deregulated bus markets. The Oxford system has therefore attracted considerable attention and it has been suggested that it could offer valuable lessons for other areas. This paper explains the context within which the scheme was developed and describes the key features of bus ticketing in the city of Oxford and in its wider travel to work area. The paper then compares the Oxford system with the aspirations of Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs).
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Air Quality in the City Regions: A Transport Toolkit
August, 2014
Aimed at city region authorities, this toolkit provides an accessible overview of the issues and options for tackling air pollution associated with transport.
Making the connections: The cross-sector benefits of supporting bus services
July, 2014
The bus is key to achieving 46 policy goals of 12 of the 24 Departments across Whitehall including the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury, Department of Health, Department for Education and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. This report shows how, despite these cross sector benefits, all the main forms of funding for bus services are under severe pressure and sets out how bus funding can be reformed.
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Urban Congestion
February, 2017
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
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Hansford Review into contestability of the UK rail market - questionnaire
January, 2017
Independent review of contestability in the UK rail market to consider third party investment and infrastructure delivery on the national railway - UTG response.
Consulting body:
Network Rail
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The Road to Growth
January, 2017
UTG response to 'The Road to Growth Discussion paper' for Highways England.
Consulting body:
Highways England
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DfT Wider Economic Impacts
January, 2017
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
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RSA Inclusive Growth Commission Response
December, 2016
UTG response to the RSA Inclusive Growth Commission, making the case for how transport can support more inclusive growth.
Consulting body:
Royal Society of Arts
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ORR July 2016 Monitoring Highways England investment
November, 2016
Consulting body:
Office of Rail and Road
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Bus Services Bill Consultation
October, 2016
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
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ORR PR18 Initial Consultation
August, 2016
Response to the ORR PR18 initial consultation.
Consulting body:
Office of Rail and Road
Improving the Rail Passenger Experience
May, 2016
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
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Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Consultation
May, 2016
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
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Critical challenges and solutions to improving transport in city regions identified ahead of party conferences
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
The challenges to improving transport in the UK’s city regions and the solutions needed to overcome them have been set out by the Urban Transport Group today.
MaaS movement? New report sets out three key factors that will decide future of Mobility as a Service
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
A new report from the Urban Transport Group says that ‘the future of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is yet to be decided’.
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City transport bodies call on Government to make practical policy changes to improve air quality
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
A coalition of city region transport authorities have today called on Government to make five practical policy changes to help assist them in improving air quality in their areas.
Urban Transport Group welcomes Prime Minister’s pledge to support city regions in taking back control over their bus services
Monday, July 29, 2019
The Urban Transport Group has today welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment in his speech at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry this weekend that he will “begin as a matter of urgency the transformation of local bus services”.
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Urban Transport Group welcomes appointment of Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP as Chancellor and sets out city region transport priorities for Spending Review
Thursday, July 25, 2019
The Urban Transport Group has today welcomed the appointment of Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and set out its priorities for urban transport in the Government’s forthcoming Spending Review.
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Championing active travel can deliver “win-win for people and planet” says Urban Transport Group
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
The Urban Transport Group has responded to calls from MPs for Government to provide the leadership and ambition required to increase levels of walking and cycling.
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Changing travel habits in UK’s cities revealed in new data report
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Investing in ‘right’ transport policies key to achieving UK’s net zero goal
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
The Urban Transport Group has today responded to the UK’s move to legislate for net zero carbon emissions.
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MPs are right to call for urgent action to tackle bus decline, says Urban Transport Group
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
MPs on the Transport Select Committee are “absolutely right” to call for urgent action to tackle bus decline in their new report into the health of the bus market in England.