Wales TUC: New report shows investment in transport can transform working life in Wales

Commenting on Centre for Cities’ new report Fare Outcomes: Understanding Transport in Welsh Cities – which was sponsored by the Wales TUC – General Secretary Shavanah Taj said:

“Far too many workers in Wales have no options when it comes to getting to and from work. As a result, the car totally dominates. We want to see that change and we want to maximise choice for workers.  

 “We need to be creative in how we look for solutions. We want to see solutions that are built around workers’ needs and that reflect the realities of labour markets in our cities. That means tailoring the right solutions for each city and looking at funding routes which don’t place an undue burden on workers.

 “The evidence is crystal clear from cities across Europe: investment in reliable and intelligent transport infrastructure pays for itself in higher productivity and higher wages.

 “Welsh Government and our transport unions have led the way in recent years in looking to build a green and modern Welsh transport network with projects like the South Wales Metro. We need to accelerate this and put workers at the centre of the conversation”

The report’s recommendations include:

• Increasing investment in transport networks in Wales’s four cities.
• Increasing housing and commercial density around key transport locations
• expanding the number of high-precision, low frequency services that could serve edge-of-town industrial estates and business parks
• Exploring further the role that bus franchising can have in improving services.
• A range of options for raising funding including congestion charges, workplace parking levies, further devolution of taxes.