In LTT magazine, LTT920, available for subscribers to access.
It is a bumper issue before the summer break, reflecting a major burst of activity impacting upon local transport.
There has been much to report in relation to transport from the Government and various public bodies, as they have presented a range of material to lay before Parliament before the summer recess. The future shape of policy and of new transport schemes and the oversight of expenditure and performance has been a major focus. We particularly examine the Department for Transport’s annual report and accounts, which includes a new statement of its main objectives and approach to measuring outcomes. Alongside this, the progress of the rail re-organisation is under scrutiny, as well as the performance of National Highways. Other significant areas of discussion are plans for introduction of autonomous buses and taxis, and plans for new regulatory powers over micro-mobility.
There are interesting developments relating to transport in Wales, including apparent unwinding of some of the radical reforms to the WelTAG appraisal system introduced by the former transport minister, Lee Waters, which we analyse in detail.
Some key policy areas seen as demanding attention in both England and Wales include the cost of school transport, the processes for transport planning to deliver against new housing development and support for improvement of bus services. We record further significant initiatives from the National Audit Office and the Office of Road and Rail, alongside our usual roundup of local transport developments.
We are pleased to have two interesting commentaries specifically written for LTT — one by Professor Greg Marsden on the Government’s progress on decarbonisation, and the other by Oxfordshire County Councillor, Andrew Gant, on the policies he is leading for the council on transport management and in particular its plans for traffic reduction and neighbourhood environmental improvement.
Our regular commentator contributor in this issue is John Dales, who develops his thinking on suitable approaches to addressing our future transport options and how some of the technological and political driving forces may be inappropriate guides to the right direction to take. He warns that a focus on the desired destination must be a key consideration.
In his Editorial Opinion, Peter Stonham reflects on recent controversy over the role of public officials in disseminating policy insight and guidance, and how that relates to the broader narrative delivered by the politicians. He believes that both have a key role to play, with civil servants an important avenue for presenting policy implementation detail amongst the professional audience.
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The next issue will appear on 3 September 2025.
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A 30-year journey
Local Transport Today has been providing a unique service of news, analysis and comment about everything relating to transport at urban, conurbation, rural and regional levels in Britain for over 30 years.
Founded as a magazine in 1989, it quickly became required reading for planners and transport managers in local authorities, transport service providers, consultants and specialist suppliers and all those researching and studying the challenges of providing mobility and accessibility for people and businesses all around the UK.
Over the years, conferences and seminars, online information resources and other networking and knowledge exchange activities - including an annual Local Transport Summit - have been added to the mix.
During the Covid-19 lockdown this year, LTT introduced a regular fortnightly series of online conversations which became must-attend discussions for those tackling the impacts of the pandemic on local transport.
The most recent innovative step has been the switch to digital publication including the LTT digital platform, providing an enhanced reader experience for you in accessing LTT content. This brings together the opportunity to read the complete copy of the magazine digitally - and print it out if required - with the facility to explore its contents as individual items. This platform is designed to suit both desktop and handheld devices. There are also direct links to all featured websites and email addresses mentioned in the magazine.
…and desktop viewing facility too
Plus you can print it too!
For those who still want to read the magazine as a paper product, we have designed it in an A4 print-friendly format, ready for you to print at home or in the office. You can print a whole issue or select and print certain pages.
Subscription benefit
The LTT digital platform includes a paywall — though for existing subscribers this will not affect access. All it requires is to simply log in with an email that is registered with LTT and click on ‘Forgotten?' to receive a new password to access your account.
For anyone who is not a subscriber, there is a facility to quickly purchase access for either an individual issue or a monthly or annual subscription to LTT. And you will see that we have brought in attractive new lower prices, as we have promised, to reflect the switch to digital delivery. It is now just £75 to subscribe to LTT for a year as an individual or £7.50 per month.
This full exceptional collection of material is not available anywhere else and continues the well-established LTT mission to be the only authoritative source for UK local transport professionals and practitioners!
Here’s what we cover for you
The UK Local Transport Eco-system at a Glance(!)
Transport issues and challenges are now a complex overlapping web of different localities, activities, modes, professional disciplines, technologies and financial and governance models. The LTT team uniquely understand this matrix and how all the different elements fit together.
