In response to last year’s delayed White Paper on Transport, South Yorkshire’s four local authorities and the PTE have launched a strategy to develop the sub-region into a Centre of Excellence in Integrated Transport. What this means is summed up in a glossy document called "Changing the face of transport in South Yorkshire", which is available from the Town Hall, or at www.sypte.co.uk And it's actually very encouraging. It says all the right things, and gives targets, some even with numbers, and commits to actual projects. And all without any new money. (Unless you count Mr. Prescott’s generous help in writing off the Tram Debt). The initial phase is based on a number of approaches, including:
- Corridor treatments of rail lines, including the Leeds and Manchester lines, both of which are not exactly high standard.
- Bus corridors like those to Totley, Ecclesfield and Rotherham.
- Mini interchanges in places like Hillsborough and Parson Cross.
- More 'Park and Ride' sites.
- Countywide initiatives addressing through ticketing, timetables and information and safe routes to school.
All told, the move is to be welcomed, and shows just how far we have come in ten years. The fact that such schemes are being pursued, and backed at a high level by the Government, shows how effective a good campaign can be. Those of us who have been in Transport are looking forward to the next ten years, after which we might even have a truly sustainable transport system!
More info - Atmosphere and Transport Campaign.