Transport Resource Unit update - January 09

Happy New Year to you all.

The dust has settled on the Transport Innovation Fund referendum defeat and we're all waiting to see what will become of the various projects that were proposed in the bid. Some will go ahead regardless as funding had already been secured (such as a limited expanision of the Metrolink) but the fate of others will rest on the ability to lever in funding from elsewhere, or find savings in existing budgets. GMPTA's official press release on this can be found here: http://www.gmpte.com/news.cfm?news_id=6100521

With budget setting just around the corner we've asked GMPTA to consider the findings in a report commissioned by TRU last year, which looks at the impact of the rise in the concessionary fare in 2007. The report, Food or Education, suggests that the 20p rise (40%) had a particular impact on lower income families and those with multiple children. For example, families with three children found that the increase translated into an extra £6 per week for school transport. More information below.

TRU has got a busy year ahead with several pieces of work in the pipeline including research to explore the impact of transport on access to voluntary sector health and wellbeing services, and a report on the structures through which local communities and groups currently raise transport issues, with recommendations for developing more effective mechanisms, where appropriate. We'll also be developing the workplan for 2009/10 so if there are any issues that you feel TRU should be looking at in the future, please get in touch.

And finally, 'bendy buses' are on their way out in London (how much longer will they last here?) as the new Routemaster designs are unveiled: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/corporate/projectsandschemes/technologyandequipment/anewbusforlondon/default.aspx

Melanie