Ambitious report lays out plan to reach net zero targets by radically boosting spending on trains, trams and buses

Increased spending on public transport will deliver huge boost to the economy, the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) has told ministers in a new report outlining an ambitious plan to achieve net zero targets.

A radical investment in bus, rail and tram travel will not only help address climate change but also deliver a £52 billion productivity boost by 2030, the TUC has argued in a new report published today.

The TUC said the ambitious plan ‘fills a gaping hole’ in the government’s recently published net zero strategy, which they said failed to achieve the ‘modal shift’ away from car.

Focusing on electric cars is not enough, the Committee on Climate Change has argued, and reducing car mileage is crucial to ensuring the UK’s target to cut emissions by 68% by 2030 is met, emphasising the importance of upgrading public transport.

The plan would require an average of £9.9 billion in annual spending up to 2035, however it is predicted to boost annual GDP by £52.1 billion by 2030, based on comparisons with European centres with better public transport than the UK.

The plan to invest in public transport across England and Wales will also create high-quality jobs in transport and manufacturing, argues the TUC.

A predicted 140,000 new jobs would be created working in bus, tram and rail operation and a further 830,000 jobs in manufacture, construction and infrastructure. The report also predicts up to 1.8 million jobs will be supported indirectly.

The report, produced by the charity Transport for Quality of Life, argues for the completion of HS2, electrification of the full rail network and a new guarantee of an hourly bus service for every village.

A fifth of UK households had no access to a car in 2020, which rises to 35% in the lowest income bracket.

The RMT union welcomed the report for highlighting an alternative vision of what our public transport services could look like, and emphasising the need for public ownership.

Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary, said the current government approach to transport prioritises maximum profit for shareholders and has led to the ‘managed decline of rail and bus services across the country’.

“This report shows that there is an alternative where we can expand and invest in our transport infrastructure,” said Lynch.

“This will create thousands of jobs across every region of England and Wales, helping build strong local economies and at the same time, secure an environmentally sustainable future.  

“It is therefore vital that bus and rail services all run as public service under a public ownership model which is free from profit hungry multimillion pound private companies.”

Paul Nowak, TUC General Secretary blasted the Conservative government’s net zero strategy as ‘empty and incompetent’, adding that the TUC report had done the work for them.

He said that investing in public transport will not only help meet net zero targets and reduce the threat of catastrophic climate change, but also improve people’s quality of life.

“Commuters will have faster and cheaper journeys to work. New connections will bring new businesses to places where people need economic opportunities,” said Nowak.

“We will save lives with cleaner air. And we will reduce loneliness and isolation by making everyone better connected, wherever you live.”

London is not included in the plan as The Mayor of London has already set targets for the capital to reach net zero by 2030, as is the case in Scotland.

The plan is being launched today in Manchester by the TUC alongside unions RMT, ASLEF, TSSA and Unite with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham speaking at the event.

Hannah Davenport is trade union reporter at Left Foot Forward

(Photo credit: Flickr / Creative Commons)

Left Foot Forward’s trade union reporting is supported by the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust

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