City region’s public transport ‘decade or so’ behind London

HomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceIntelligence RevolutionAI v the MindTech NowHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of the Earth EarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesSite searchHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersCity region's public transport 'decade or so' behind London7 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleCharlotte HallLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceTransport for Greater ManchesterDame Sarah Storey is aiming to make the school run safer and keep kids active as well as cutting traffic congestion by encouraging pupils to walk or cycleGreater Manchester is "a decade or so behind" London when it comes to public transport, the city region's active travel commissioner has said.

Dame Sarah Storey suggested Greater Manchester was playing catch-up with the capital and other European cities because it was overly reliant on cars over trams, buses and bikes.

Paralympic Games gold medallist Storey added: "People here are driving because they feel they don't have any other choice. It's the work of the Bee Network to shift that, but change does take time."

She said many of region's roads saw regular "frustrating" gridlock traffic during rush hour and school drop-off and pick-up times.

Storey said: "If I think back to when I was visiting London in preparation for the London 2012 Games, I would never have taken my bike to London. Now I take it every time.

"We are on that same journey – we're just a decade or so behind.

"We've got that investment now, and with devolved funding, we can make decisions about local places without having to ask permission all the time."

Asked whether she thought the change could be made within a decade, she said it was "down to everybody here in Greater Manchester".

She noted it was worth comparing Manchester to other European cities which had managed to shift their infrastructure away from relying on cars, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"Obviously what works in Madrid isn't always going to work in Manchester," Storey explained.

"But in the Netherlands there's now a culture [of using public transport]. They had a huge issue in the 70s and it took them very many years to address how many kids were being killed on their roads.

"Thankfully, we don't have those same statistics – we have different reasons to change."

The obesity crisis is one of them, Storey said.

The active travel commissioner spoke at an event in Little Hulton, Salford, earlier this week to celebrate 50 new school streets across the region – a measure aimed at making school runs safer by closing off roads during key periods.

One in four vehicles across Greater Manchester's congested roads is believed to be linked to the school run.

Walking or cycling to and from school has the added benefit of keeping children active.

Manchester remains in the top five most congested cities in the UK, according to analysis by INRIX, and is home to some of the busiest stretches of motorway outside of London.

Meanwhile, climate change projects worth £100m are being planned in Manchester in a bid to slash emissions amid concerns about a city's slower-than-hoped progress in achieving "carbon zero" status by 2038.

This includes increasing the use of public transport and active travel such as cycling and walking.

Bee Network bosses said they had set themselves ambitious long-term goals to encourage and enable more people to make everyday journeys either by public transport or walking, wheeling and cycling.

They said they were investing in a more joined-up, reliable and attractive alternative to the car – and said since buses had come under local control, their use had increased by about 24%, while Metrolink trams were carrying record numbers of passengers.

The Bee Network said that local rail services would also be integrated by 2030, creating the UK's first fully integrated public transport and active travel network.

A spokesperson said that while it recognised there was more to do, "significant progress" had been made through continued investment in buses, trams, rail integration, walking and cycling infrastructure, and safer, better-connected communities that give people genuine alternatives to the car.

It said it was also finalising its next phase of investment in the Bee Network and wider transport system.

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