Local Transport Strategy

We travel for different reasons and by different methods. We can be drivers, cyclists, pedestrians or public transport users in the course of a single day. Shops, businesses and factories rely on goods vehicles and freight movement. We cannot escape the impacts of transport, yet cannot live without it. Our ability to travel and our need to travel shapes our opportunities, choices and lifestyles. If our ability to travel is restricted or need to travel is unmet, we are deprived of opportunities which others may take for granted.

We rely on the many benefits transport creates. Everything we buy from shops, or work with in our offices and factories, has to be transported. The economy relies on having an effective and integrated transport system. Congestion and deteriorating infrastructure place burdens on this role, and action is needed to address them. We must also balance the pursuit of economic growth with action on the environment, safety and social inclusion. Each is important in delivering a society in which we can all share more equally in the opportunities available.

The Council cannot act alone. A wide range of bodies deliver transport services and there are many competing interests in the use of available resources. Other service providers, business users, the Government and wider community all have a role to play. Without effective partnerships, and a clear strategy, any action the Council itself can take will be very limited. In this respect, there are not just proposals for the Council, but for everybody. It falls to each of us to contribute to them. If we are successful, we will be better placed to deliver a healthy, inclusive and prosperous society for all our community.

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