2021 Manifesto FINAL DRAFT - Flipbook - Page 36
Transport
A public transport
system you can
actually use
We all rely on transport to get us
where we need to be. Transport
should help us get on with our lives
— not be an expensive source of
frustration. But in the West
Midlands, over-reliance on the car
causes congestion, poisonous air,
stress and ultimately ill-health and
premature death.
The evidence is clear that active
travel (walking and cycling) is the
cleanest, healthiest and most
efficient way to undertake short
journeys. I will champion initiatives
to encourage all who can, to make
active travel their method of choice.
But we won’t break our car
dependency whilst our public
transport system isn’t a viable
alternative; we need a system that’s
safe, effective, easy to use and
always available. Most importantly,
we must question whether people
will leave the car at home when the
price of public transport remains a
barrier. That’s why all the options
must be on the table when we reimagine our system, including
making public transport free for all
at the point of use.